Frozen 4 A Frozen Christmas
by kschwake1
Summary: The next stage of my Frozen saga, based on the Disney movie Frozen. It is Christmas time, and Kristian is having some difficulty in handling the festive season. Also, two strangers come to Arendelle. This causes Elsa and the others some concern. This is because of the reasons that they offer for coming to Arendelle.
1. Chapter 1

Frozen 4

A Frozen Christmas

It is finally approaching the end of the year in Arendelle. With the end of the year also comes the reduction of the temperature. Snow had fallen and the entire kingdom is covered in a white blanket of snow. With the fresh snow, the children of Arendelle are out in the streets to play.

As for the adults, they still have work to do. Now part of that work includes the removal of snow from in front of their buildings. For most of the buildings in Arendelle, snow removal is not a difficult task. However, the palace and the town square are taking longer to clear. This is because there is a lot more area to clear off. Enough snow has to be cleared away to allow carts to easily travel to and from the palace.

It is also the beginning of the Christmas season. Along with snow removal, servants are busy getting the palace decorated for Christmas. Of course, Anna and Elsa are helping as well. For several hours, everyone is happily busy getting the palace ready. Even Olaf, Kristoff, and Kristian are helping. However, while Kristian is helping the others, he is not as happy as the rest.

Yet Kristian does enjoy watching everyone as they happily get the palace ready, especially Elsa. Just watching her gives Kristian a warm feeling. However, these moments are short lived. While Elsa does spend time with Kristian with the decorating, she also spends time with many others. However, when Elsa spends time with Anna, Kristian can see them laughing together. It is obvious to everyone that the sisters love each other. While seeing Elsa laughing does bring a smile to Kristian's face, it also saddens him.

During one of the sister's laugh sessions, Kristian lets out a sigh. At the same time, Kristoff and Olaf come walking up behind him. Each one is carrying a box. "Hey Kristian, So what's up?" says Kristoff.

"What! Oh, I didn't hear you coming," replies Kristian, a little startled by Kristoff's appearance.

"That's obvious," replies Kristoff. "You seem a little down. Is there something that's bothering? Is Elsa not giving you enough attention?"

No, it's nothing like that," says Kristian. "Elsa hasn't been neglecting me. I'm fine. I'm just a little preoccupied with other things on my mind."

"Suit yourself; but if you need help with anything, I'm sure there are lots of people that will lend you a hand," replies Kristoff. With this said, Kristoff continues to walk towards Anna and Elsa.

"Are you sure you are OK?" then asks Olaf as he hangs back next to Kristian.

"I'm fine, Olaf," replies Kristian. "Besides, it's nothing that anyone can help me with anyway. I'll just need to work things out on my own."

"You still need to be cheered up," chirps Olaf. "Hey! Why don't you come and check out the stuff that is in these boxes. I only had a glimpse but there are some pretty nifty things in here."

"Sure, it would be good to get my mind on something else," replies Kristian as he begins to follow Olaf.

Meanwhile as Kristoff nears Anna and Elsa, the sisters see him approach. "Kristoff! Did you manage to find them?" asks Anna as she gets up and hurries over to Kristoff.

It took a little time, but I think so," replies Kristoff. "It took the servants and me a while to find the boxes."

"You should have seen all the stuff we had to go through to locate them!" exclaims Olaf as he comes hurrying up alongside of Kristoff. "There is a lot of really cool stuff up in the attic of the palace!"

"I'm glad you enjoyed the search, Olaf," says Elsa. "However, I can only blame myself for misplacing them. It was never a priority for me to keep track of the family Christmas ornaments. Having been left in storage for so long, it doesn't surprise me that the servants forgot where they were placed. Here, why don't you both place them down on the table? That way, we can examine the contents better."

So with this suggestion, Kristoff and Olaf head over to the table and place the boxes down. Then Anna and Elsa open the boxes, and they begin to pull items out.

"Ooohh, pretty!" exclaims Olaf as he watches the ornaments come out of the boxes.

"Yes, these do appear to be the right boxes," says Elsa as she reaches into one of them. Then after pulling an ornament out, Elsa says, "Anna, do you recognize this?"

"Oh, it has been ages since I have seen that piece!" exclaims Anna happily. "I think I was only four years old when our parents gave that to us for Christmas!"

"Yes, it was the last glass ornament that we received jointly as a family," replies Elsa with a smile. Then her smile fades a little before she continues. "After that, our joint ornaments were either made of wood or iron."

"I wonder why that is?" inquires Anna, mostly to herself. "Those later ornaments were beautiful, but why did our parents stop presenting us with glass ornaments?"

"That was because of me," replies Elsa a little down.

"You, but why did they stop that tradition because of you?" asks a puzzled Anna.

"Because glass is fragile," replies Kristian as he walks closer to the table. "I was having the same problem when I was younger. It was all because of your magic, wasn't it? When I was young, my magic would act up at times. If I was holding anything made of glass, it could break in my hands. I'm guessing that Elsa's magic was acting the same. Even today, I have to be careful about handling anything made of glass."

"Yes, I had to be very careful when I touched anything made of delicate glass," adds Elsa. "The glass ornaments were just too fragile for me to touch. Eventually, our parents were too concerned about the potential breakage that they stopped using the glass ornaments all together. So they were simply stored away for safe keeping."

Anna notices the sad expression on her sister's face. So she says, "Elsa, I am so sorry; I didn't realize."

"Of course you didn't," replies Elsa. "You weren't told to try and keep you safe from me."

"I wish they hadn't kept it a secret," says Anna. "I would have acted differently towards you if I had known."

"Maybe we all should have told you. Yet if we had, maybe I wouldn't be living as openly as I do now," replies Elsa.

In response, Anna reaches out and gives her sister a hug. Then she lets go and says, "Well at least now we can relive all of our Christmas pasts. It looks like nearly all the ornaments are in perfect shape."

Elsa brightens as she listens to Anna's excitement. Then she says, "Yes our Christmases were wonderful, and it will be a delight to see all those old memories again."

In a moment, the sisters begin to pull ornaments out of the box. With each ornament, the sisters talk about the memories that each one produces. Both Anna and Elsa happily discuss their share memories as Kristoff and Kristian look on. Kristoff smiles as he listens to the joy in Anna's voice. Initial Kristian smiles as well. However, as the sisters continue to talk, Kristian's smile begins to fade. For Kristian, the joy of Anna's and Elsa's family life together reminds him of the life he had lived.

When Kristian was younger, all he had was his mother. The weather was harsh on the mountain, but his mother would always try and make Christmas special for Kristian. However after she passed away, the only person that Kristian had to associate with was Goran. Goran did not celebrate Christmas. So the Christmases became a lonely time for Kristian after his mother was gone.

Anyway back in the present, Elsa and Anna were laying the ornaments out on the table as they were reliving their memories. However, the table was starting to get covered in ornaments. As space was becoming harder to find, Elsa says with a smile, "Anna, I think we better stop going down memory lane."

"What? Why?" asks a surprised Anna. "I thought we were having a wonderful time talking about our childhood."

"We were. It's just that we are running out of room to put all those memories," replies Elsa with a smile. "We've practically filled the entire table!"

Then with a grin, Anna says, "You're right! Isn't it great that we had so many wonderful memories?"

"Yes it is wonderful," replies Elsa with a smile. "However, before we continue down memory lane, we should have the family Christmas tree up. That way we can hang the ornaments up on the tree."

"You're right, but where is the tree?" asks Anna. "Elsa, didn't you send some workmen out to fetch a Christmas tree?"

"I did make a request," replies Elsa. "However, they were busy because of the heavy snowfall lately. So I did not make a priority of the tree."

"I doubt they would have had time to hunt for a tree," interjects Kristoff. "The village got pretty well covered in snow."

"Hey! If you are talking about snow removal, we have the best guy here for doing that!" exclaims Olaf. "Kristian can do it in no time at all!"

"Um sure, I can clear the streets," replies Kristian. "Just wish someone could have told me earlier. I didn't even think of it myself. Things sort of got busy here in the palace."

"I never even considered asking you," says Elsa. "I sort of felt you were more of a guest here at the palace. Well..., maybe more than just a guest."

"I know that I am more than just a guest. However, I'm still trying to figure out what my role is here in Arendelle," replies Kristian.

"Oh, isn't your role obvious," says Elsa humorously as she walks up to Kristian and places her hands on his shoulders.

"That part of my role concerning you, I understand," replies Kristian with a smile. "However, I'm still trying to figure out how I fit into Arendelle. So far, I've become an odd jobs sort of worker, useful but not really necessary."

"You're looking at your usefulness in the wrong way," objects Anna. "It is better to think of yourself as being highly talented. You're talented in such a way that it allows you to preform many different kinds of jobs extremely well."

"Anna's right," adds Kristoff. "Every time that someone asks for your help, it is when there is a difficult task that needs to be done. It is a job where your magic comes in handy."

"You're the go to guy to solve the problem!" chirps Olaf.

Kristian smiles as he listens to Olaf's happy voice. Then he says, "I guess I have been short changing myself lately. Probably because I'm still adjusting to living in amongst other people."

"I can appreciate the difficulty you might be having," replies Elsa. "You have been so use to doing things on your own, and now you have to become accustom to dealing with others. I might not have gone to the extreme that you have in doing things on my own, but I can empathize with you. Maybe I've been trying to protect you too much from those that might fear you."

"If you have, I really haven't noticed it," says Kristian with a smile. "Though, it is kind of nice to think of you as my protector. I can't think of anyone prettier that I would rather have."

Elsa begins to giggle a bit. Meanwhile, Kristoff has been witnessing all of this. Then Kristoff says, "Ick, mushy stuff."

"Kristoff, don't ruin the moment!" exclaims Anna in disapproval.

However, Elsa and Kristian just begin to laugh. Then Elsa says, "Now you know how I feel sometimes, when I have to watch you and Anna being all into one another."

With this comment, both Anna and Kristoff are embarrassed. Then Kristoff says, "OK, OK, I was out of line. So, what now? Should we go out and get the Christmas tree together? Sven will be more than able to pull us out to the woods to find a tree."

"That is an excellent idea, Kristoff," replies Elsa. "It will be a nice adventure to try and find the perfect tree."

"Oh this will be fun!" exclaims Anna. "Come on, Elsa! Let's get ourselves ready to venture outside into the snow!"

Elsa laughs a little as she waves her hand around in the air. With this motion, Elsa is able to create a wardrobe change that is a little warmer in look. However in truth, Elsa really didn't need the new clothes to protect herself from the cold. Then Elsa says with a smile, "I believe that I am ready now, Anna."

"Hey that's not fair!" exclaims Anna with a smile. "You're cheating! Well, you can then at least help me get ready!" With this, Anna begins to pull Elsa out of the room.

"OK, Anna, I'm coming!" exclaims Elsa as she laughs. Then turning to the others in the room, she exclaims, "I guess we will be seeing you boys a little later outside!" So with this final statement, Elsa and Anna leave the room.

"Come on guys! It won't take Anna too long to get ready," exclaims Olaf as he trots towards the door. "We need to be outside when they get ready to go!"

"Sure thing, Olaf," replies Kristoff. "We're coming!" With this, Kristoff and Kristian follow Olaf out of the room.

* * *

In no time; Kristoff, Olaf, and Kristian are outside in the courtyard. Both men are dressed for the colder weather. While they wait for the ladies to emerge from the palace, Kristoff is busy getting Sven and the sled ready. Around the courtyard, there are men busy piling the snow up. There are also horses and carts being used to remove the snow from the courtyard. It was during this time that Elsa and Anna come out of the palace.

"Hey Kristoff, are you and Sven ready to go?" asks Anna as she and Elsa approach the others.

"We are just about ready to go," replies Kristoff. "Honestly, I thought that I would have a little more time. You two managed to get yourselves ready in a hurry."

"Of course we did," replies Elsa with a smile. "We weren't going to let you boys sit out here all day by yourselves."

"It also didn't hurt that Elsa gave a little magical help," adds Anna with a smile.

As Anna was talking, Elsa looks around the courtyard. She notices the piles of snow that are piled here and there inside the stone walls of the courtyard. Afterwards, Elsa turns to Kristian and asks, "If you please. Why don't you relieve these men of their labors with the snow? I'm sure they too would enjoy some time with their families."

"I was just about to start when you showed up," replies Kristian. With this, Kristian raises his hands and a fire begins to rise from the cobblestones. As the fire grows it begins to swirl until it forms a twirling column of fire. Once the column reaches about ten feet in height, it begins to move across the ground.

As it begins to move, Olaf shouts out," Heads up! A magical fire is coming through!"

With this warning, the workmen stop what they are doing and look over to Kristian and the swirling fire. The fire moves slowly at first, but soon Kristian increases the speed of the fire. The swirling column of fire quickly devours each pile of snow it encounters. It only takes a few minutes for the fire to vaporize every pile of snow in the courtyard.

Once the piles were gone, the swirling fire comes to a stop near Kristian. Kristian then walks up to the swirling column and easily places his hands into the side of the column. Then with a quick motion, Kristian flings his hands off to the side. With this act, the column of fire turns into a long stream of flame. This stream quickly moves away from Kristian, and it soon reaches the walls of the courtyard. As the fire stream reaches the wall it easily begins to move along its surface. It moves at such a fast speed that the flames are almost a blur. The flames quickly circle the entire courtyard and the snow that had not been touched by the workmen quickly melts away. With the final snow gone, Kristian allows the flames to fade away.

"I should remember to ask you to do this sooner," says Elsa with a smile. She is rather impressed by the speed at which Kristian was able to work.

"Hopefully, next time I will be working on this before you ask," replies Kristian with a smile.

With this work done, everyone climbs into the sled; and Sven begins to pull it out the courtyard gates. As the sled moves past the workmen, the workmen happily wave to the departing party. They are grateful for the work that Kristian had done for them.

Outside the gates a similar situation is seen out on the bridge and the village square. The bridge was clear but there are piles along the stone hand rails. As for the village square, it was mostly covered. There are paths cleared through the snow to get to front doors and paths for carts to be pulled. However, the workmen had moved out of the square to clear the roads through town and the road out of the village.

However, this snow was not going to be there long. As Sven begins to move along the bridge, Kristian extends his hands out to the sides. Kristian has to lean forward to get his one hand past Elsa, who is sitting next to him. Kristian then produces flames from his hands. These flames shoot out to the stone hand rails, and they easily melt the snow away.

For those people watching this, it was an amazing sight. Here was Sven, pulling a sled. On either side of him, there was a short wall of fire; and Sven didn't seem to care about the close fires. Also, everyone on the sled seems to be enjoying this unique sleigh ride.

Once the sled reaches the far end of the palace bridge, Kristian brings his hands forward. With this motion, the two fires along the stone hand rails come together in front of Sven and the sled. Even with this short fire wall in front of him, Sven continues to pull the sled. Of course there was no concern about this, because everyone knew that Kristian would keep the fire moving forward.

Without a second thought, Kristian causes this fire to quickly spread across the village square. The foot and a half of snow that covered the square will soon be complete gone. However, Kristian did not notice something at the far end of the square; and he was about to cause a minor disaster.

At the end of the square, a couple of kids had built a snow. A few moments ago, the kids had gone into one of the buildings to retrieve a few things to finish off their snowman. Now the kids are coming back out, and they see the fire quickly approaching their snowman. With the imminent demise of their snowman at hand, the kids scream out of fear.

Everyone on the sled hears the kids scream, and it was Anna who was the first one to see them. "Over there!" exclaims Anna as she points towards the kids.

"Kristian, stop!" exclaims Elsa as she sees the kids.

With a quick way of his hands the flames begin to fade and go out. Then Kristian is able to take the time to see what the problem is. His eyes quickly falls onto the kids, and Kristian can see them running out into the square. His eyes then quickly move in the direction that the kids are running. By doing this, Kristian locates a melting pile of snow. It seems to be the only thing that the kids are running to. This pile of melting snow is all that is left of the kid's snowman.

In a few seconds later, Sven comes to a stop next to the melting snowman. He stops a few seconds before the kids can reach the snowman. From the sled, everyone can see that the kids are crying. These kids were crying because all the work that they had put into their snowman had just been melted away.

"Are you all right?" asks a concerned Elsa.

"No," cries out one child. "Our snowman is ruined!"

"We spent all morning working on him!" exclaims the other child sadly. "And we didn't even give him his nose yet!"

"Oh, that is sad," says Olaf as he hops down from the sled. "Every snowman should have a nose. I was real happy when I first got my nose." Then Olaf takes his carrot nose off and offers it to the kids. "Here, you can have my nose to finish your snowman."

"We have a nose," says one child. "But now we don't have a snowman!"

"This is my entire fault," says Kristian quietly. However, he said it loud enough where those on the sled are able to hear it. Yet, those on the ground really could not discern what Kristian had said.

"You need not worry about this," replies Elsa as she smiles at Kristian before climbing out of the sled. Then Elsa walks up to the melted snowman. "You don't have to say goodbye to your snowman just yet," says Elsa to the children.

Then Elsa begins to wave her hands around. As she does, Elsa's magic begins to do its work. In almost no time at all, Elsa is able to bring the snowman back to its original shape. With the sight of their snowman back, the kids are delight and quickly run over to the snowman.

"He's back!" exclaims one child happily.

"He looks better than he did before," exclaims the other child. "Queen Elsa can do almost anything!"

"Well, I won't say that I can do everything; but when it comes to repairing snowman, I am pretty good," replies Elsa to the child's compliment. Then Elsa creates two ice benches a couple of feet away on each side of the snowman. "There, these benches should help to tell people that this is a very special snowman," says Elsa with a smile.

"Thanks, we can use them as workbenches when we finish our snowman," exclaims one of the kids as he drops the things he had been carrying on one of the benches. With this, the two kids begin to work on decorating their snowman.

With the children preoccupied with their snowman, Olaf and Elsa return to the sled. From the sled, Olaf is able to watch the kids place a carrot on the snowman's face. "There, now he looks like a real happy snowman," chirps Olaf.

"Yes, he does look happy," replies Anna with a slight giggle. "But then, I don't think I have ever seen a sad snowman."

"Of course not!" chirps Olaf. "How can a snowman be sad when so much love has gone into building him? A nose only gives him something more to cherish."

Once everyone was situated, Sven once again begins to pull the sled. Then after a moment, Kristian says, "I should have been more careful of what I was doing. I was just too focused on clearing the snow. When I started, I should have realized that their might have been something in the snow."

"Don't be too hard on yourself," replies Elsa. "Accidents happen, and this one was a minor one. It was an easy and fun one for me to fix."

"Sometimes I wonder if you are too forgiving, especially towards me," comments Kristian.

"Perhaps I am. However, I like to look at it in a more positive way. After the rough start that I had as the ruler of Arendelle, I didn't want to be as harsh to others as they were too me," replies Elsa. "Honestly, I didn't think my forgiving nature would have bother you."

"Oh, it really doesn't bother me," responds Kristian. "In fact, sometimes I enjoy it. I just wonder at what point will you no longer be so forgiving."

"I hope, I will always be understanding and forgiving to others," replies Elsa. "In a way, I consider it a requirement to be a good leader."

"Besides, if she ever does stop forgiving you, you will definitely be the first to know," interjects Anna with a smile. "Elsa is very good at giving people the cold shoulder. In fact, Elsa is so good that she will literally give you frost bite."

"Oh Anna, stop, your being a pest," says Elsa humorously as she creates a snowball with her magic. Then Elsa projects the snowball light heartedly towards Anna.

With a laugh, Anna ducks to dodge the flying snowball. Then she says, "See what I have to put up with. I told you she was good at it."

Kristian begins to laugh as well. Then he says, "I've already handled her frost bite. So if this is the worst that she can do, I will be fine."

"Then you are out of luck, mister," giggles Elsa. "You haven't even sampled a portion of my strongest magic." Then Elsa raises a hand and projects an energy blast of pure magic at Kristian. All of this is done while Elsa smiles and giggles.

"Hey," exclaims Kristian with some disapproving humor as the energy strikes him. As Elsa's energy hits Kristian, his upper torso flares up with flames. However, Kristian quickly responds to this by gathering the flames around one of his hands. Then he says with a laugh as he points this flaming hand in Elsa's direction, "Do you seriously want to do this now, while we are riding on this sled?"

Elsa laughs as she reaches out and interlaces her fingers into Kristian's fingers on his flaming hand. As she does this, the flames diminish and Elsa says, "No, but at least now you know that you can't just take me for granted."

With this statement, Kristian allows the flames on his had to be extinguished by Elsa's magic. Then Kristian says, "I don't think I will ever take you for granted. If it wasn't for you, I would never have found a home and a beautiful protector."

"I hope that I am more that your protector," replies Elsa with a smile as she leans in on Kristian.

"You're many things to me, Elsa," says Kristian with a smile as he leans in on her. "However, I do think that you and I are a pretty good team." After saying this, Kristian then slowly moves in on Elsa to give her a kiss. Elsa responds favorably and kisses him back.

However, during this kiss, Olaf chirps up, "Hey, aren't I part of the team to?"

Because of the ridiculousness of this question, Anna and Kristoff begin to burst out in laughter. Their laughter was contagious, and soon Elsa and Kristian are laughing as well. Then Elsa says, "Of course you are part of the team, Olaf. You are part of a team of people that I like to keep close to me."

"Do those team members also include Anna and Kristoff?" then asks Olaf.

"They are the ones who helped create the team," replies Elsa with a smile. "Then with your help, we have added the newest member of our group."

"So who is that?" asks Olaf. "Wait! Is it the smelly fisherman that delivers fresh fish to the palace?"

Both Elsa and Kristian are surprised by Olaf's suggestion. However, Anna and Kristoff begin to laugh. Then Kristoff says, "Olaf, I thing Elsa is talking about Kristian."

"I'm certain that it is who they are talking about," adds Anna. "Olaf, if it wasn't for you pushing and encouraging Kristian to interact with us, He would never have become a citizen of Arendelle."

"I've always considered Kristian just a friend," replies Olaf.

"That is what the best teams are made of. They are a simply a group of friends," says Elsa.

"And we are probably the craziest lot of friends that you will ever meet," exclaims Kristoff.

With this last statement, everyone laughs as the sled heads out into the countryside.


	2. Chapter 2

For the next hour, Elsa and the others hunt for a suitable tree for the family quarters in the palace. For a while, every tree that the guys find, Anna and Elsa would find something wrong with it. Finally, Olaf is able to find a tree that both sisters could agree upon. So with an axe, Kristoff goes and cuts the tree down. Then Kristoff and Kristian haul the tree to the sled and place it into the back. Of course, Olaf helps some by carrying the top of the tree as the two men haul the tree from the bottom.

Finally, the tree is loaded. Then everyone heads back towards the village. On the way back, Anna and Elsa begin talking about the upcoming Christmas celebration for the village. The celebration was going to be held three days before the day of Christmas.

After that, the sisters start to talk about the private celebration that they are going to have on the day of Christmas. Soon their talk begins to drift into their Christmases as children. Once again, Elsa and Anna begin to talk about the joy and fun that they had during Christmas, even the times during Elsa's isolation.

During Elsa's isolation years, the royal family would still celebrate Christmas together. These family times were important to both sisters. For Elsa, she got to feel like part of the family again, even though she refrained from interacting with the others. As for Anna, Christmas was a time where she could interact with Elsa. The interactions were reserved, but Anna enjoyed those little moments she had with Elsa.

As for Kristoff and Olaf, they enjoyed listening to Anna and Elsa talk about their past. However, as Kristian listens to Anna and Elsa talk, he gets lost in his own thoughts of his own past. Kristian's life had always been tough. The last Christmas that he had celebrated was when Kristian was about twelve. It was also the last Christmas that Kristian had with his mother.

For that Christmas, all Kristian and his mother had for a tree was one branch of a fir tree. It was tough on the mountain, and Goran did not believe in doing anything that was for pleasure. Everything that was done on the mountain was either for survival or to train Kristian in then use of his powers. There was little time for Kristian to help his mother to do anything to celebrate Christmas. Still Kristian's mother did the best that she could. For many Christmases, there was little that Kristian's mother could do. However, every Christmas, Kristian's mother would put on her best dress and tell her son stories of the wonders that occurred in the palace that was once their home.

Now for Goran, he was the man that gave Kristian and his mother shelter during Kristian's isolation from the rest of the world. Like Kristian, Goran could control fire. However, it was not compassion that allowed Kristian to stay with Goran. Goran saw an asset that he could use in Kristian's powers. It was only due to the encounters that Kristian had here in Arendelle that eventually led to the revelation of Goran's true dark intentions.

Anyway, before long, Sven pulls the sled up to the front doors of the palace. Once the sled stops, everyone climbs out. However, Kristian still remains seated. "Hey Kristian, are you coming?" then chirps Olaf.

"What?" responds Kristian as he snaps out of his thoughts.

"I said, are you going to be sitting there all day; or are you going to move and give us a hand?" again chirps Olaf.

"Um, sure. Sorry about that," replies Kristian as he climbs out of the sled. "I just got lost in my thoughts."

"Pleasant thoughts, I hope," interjects Elsa with a smile.

"Well, um, they were about my past Christmases," replies Kristian as he tries to avoid giving an in depth explanation. The last thing Kristian wants to do is to bring everyone down with his less than pleasant past.

"What were your Christmases like?" inquires Anna. "I mean, you really haven't talked about your past that much."

"Anna, please, you can be so nosey at times," objects Elsa. "It is not a polite thing to pry into other people's activities."

"Who's prying?" replies Anna a little surprised by Elsa's reaction. "I just asked a simple question."

"Well, it was an inappropriate question," counters Elsa. "Kristian is a guest here and he deserves to be treated with respect!"

"Whoa, Elsa, take it easy," interrupts Kristian. "You are blowing this out of proportion. Besides, I thought that I was past the guest stage. I'm starting to become part of the daily routine of the village. I may still be trying to figure out my role here, but I like to consider myself a citizen of Arendelle."

"Elsa, I think you are being too protective of Kristian," adds Kristoff. "Besides, we are all friends here. Whatever Kristian wants to talk about, I'm sure we all would respect what he has to say."

"It is my duty to protect the people of the Kingdom of Arendelle," replies Elsa as she becomes a little remised about her previous outburst. "And Kristian is special. Because of this, he needs to be shielded from outside dangers."

"And you think that I am a danger?" asks Anna.

"No…, that's not exactly what I was thinking," replies Elsa feeling even a little more ashamed about her comments.

"It's OK, Elsa. I think I might understand your outburst," says Anna trying to reassure Elsa. "You have always been protective of those that you care about, and I know you care about Kristian. The thing is you are not the only one that cares about him. Kristian may be your boyfriend, but he is also my friend."

That's right, and Kristian is a friend to us all!" chirps Olaf. "He has been palling around with me all the time."

"And it is not always been by my choice," adds Kristian sarcastically.

Kristoff laughs, while Anna and Elsa just smile. Then Elsa says, "I guess that I am a little too protective. I just had a sense that you really didn't want to talk about your past."

"There really isn't much to talk about," replies Kristian. Then after a slight hesitation he continues. "You all already know how most of my life was like. My early years, I was almost always moving from one place to another with my mother. That didn't leave a lot of time to celebrate Christmas. Mom did her best, but the Christmases were rather meager. Then when we lived on the mountain, and Goran did not celebrate anything."

"You didn't celebrate Christmas at all?" inquires Olaf. "No tree, no sparklies, and no yummy treats. That is so sad. Christmas is the happiest time of the entire winter. I remember how wondrous all of my Christmases have been."

"Olaf, you've only celebrated one Christmas before this one," interjects Kristoff.

"Yes, and it was my best Christmas ever!" chirps Olaf.

"Ya, well, mom still tried to have a simple Christmas," continues Kristian. "However, the only tree we had was a single branch; and the decorations were merely polished stones."

"So this is going to be your first big Christmas," comments Anna.

"Yes, it will be the first one where I will be spending it with more than one person," replies Kristian. "And it will be the first full size Christmas tree that I will have the chance to sit around."

"Speaking of trees, shouldn't we be getting this one inside?" inquires Kristoff. "She is a big one and I can't haul her by myself."

"Sure, I'll give you a hand," replies Kristian as he moves to aid Kristoff. "We've gone far enough down memory lane for now."

"Yes, but we have just begun to create the memories of tomorrow," adds Elsa. "And I think we need a special tree to help begin those new memories."

"I thought we already found our tree?" asks Anna a little puzzled by Elsa's comment.

That is the perfect tree for inside the palace," replies Elsa. "What I'm thinking about now is a tree for the courtyard." Then Elsa raises her hand. As she does, Elsa begins to create a large Christmas tree made out of ice. This tree made of ice is built by Elsa in the center of the courtyard, and it continues to grow until it can be seen above the courtyard walls. As the tree finishes its growth, Elsa begins to create ornaments made of ice. In one area of the tree, Elsa makes several special shaped ornaments. These ornaments look exactly like Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, Kristian, Sven, Mattias, and Elsa.

"Oh, pretty," exclaims Olaf as he gazes at the tree. "It's even all sparkly!"

"It's beautiful, Elsa," adds Anna. "You're aiming to out do what you did last year!"

"I don't know about out doing last year's displays, but I do hope to keep thinks fresh for everyone," replies Elsa. "I would hate to become boring to the people of Arendelle."

"I don't think you could ever be boring," responds Anna. "You are the Queen of Arendelle! Everything you do would interest people. Your magic only adds another wrinkle to the people's fascination."

"I guess that I will have to learn to live with their fascination," comments Elsa. "Still, it is better than trying to avoid their recrimination of my abilities. Considering what could have happened, I've been very blessed."

"It is the Kingdom of Arendelle that has been blessed, and so have I," replies Anna. "I've been blessed with having you for a sister."

"I feel the same way towards you," says Elsa with a smile.

Then after a brief moment Olaf chirps up. "So what's next? Are you going to bling up the rest of the courtyard?"

"Not right now," replies Elsa still smiling. "I think the rest of the day needs to be spent on decorating the real tree with my family and my closest friends."

"Right, then Kristian and I should get this tree up into the family quarters," says Kristoff as he goes and grabs the tree.

"Sure," replies Kristian as he goes to take a hold on the tree opposite to Kristoff. Then Kristoff and Kristian pull the tree off the sled.

"Here, let me lend a hand!" exclaims Olaf as he comes running up to the tree.

Olaf manages to catch the peak of the tree as it falls off of the sled. However, Olaf disappears into the branches of the tree; and only his legs stick out of the bottom. For a moment, Olaf begins to walk in the wrong direction. By doing so, he begins to affect the direction that Kristoff and Kristian are carrying the tree.

"Olaf, what are you doing back there?" exclaims Kristoff. "The front door is in that direction!"

"I can't see where I am going!" exclaims Olaf. Then after a moment, Olaf's head pops out above the tree. The snowman had attached his stick arms to the side of his head. Then he climbed his head up out of the branches.

"Olaf?!" exclaims Kristian as he sees the snowman's head sitting above the tree.

"Ready, guys!" exclaims Olaf as he waves one of his stick arms. "Let's get this bird's nest inside!"

Both Anna and Elsa giggle at this sight. Then the two ladies lead the boys inside the palace. Then with a little grunting and groaning, the boys manage to work the tree up stairs to the private family quarters. Then after a short breather, Anna and Elsa direct Kristoff and Kristian where they would like the tree to be placed. Then after a little fumbling around, the two guys manage to get the tree to stand upright. Finally, the family tree for Anna and Elsa is in place.

With Kristoff's and Kristian's work done, the two guys move over to the couch. Once there, they both sit down onto the couch with fatigue. Then with the guys out of the way, Anna and Elsa begin to go to work on decorating the tree. For the rest of the evening, everyone is busy decorating the tree. Even the guys get involved as they help Anna and Elsa to reach the upper branches of the tree. As they work on decorating, Mattias contently sits in the fire place. His fire helps to provide light to these busy workers.

* * *

Next morning, Elsa is up early as usual. She had just sat herself down at the table in the private dining room, when Kristian comes walking into the room. Elsa looks up and greets her favorite gentleman. "Good morning, Kristian. Did you have a pleasant sleep?"

"I've got no complaints," replies Kristian as he sits himself down across from Elsa. "It was a pretty average night for me. Luckily, there was no fire this morning." Once Kristian is seated, the servants begin to go to work to serve Elsa and Kristian their morning breakfast.

"That is some good news," says Elsa with a devilish smirk on her face. "That means I won't have to pay for a new set of sheets this time."

"Hey, it's been a couple of weeks since I last set my bedding on fire," replies Kristian with a smile and a hint of disapproval. "And if you are so concerned about the bedding, I will gladly pay for all the sheets that I have already burned up."

In response, Elsa begins to laugh. Then she says, "You don't have to be concerned about the sheets. I consider it part of my duty. You are my guest at the palace. Besides, for everything that you have done for Arendelle and me, I consider a few burnt sheets a minor problem."

"I just consider what I've been doing as me earning my keep," replies Kristian. As Kristian has been talking with Elsa, he happens to notice a piece of paper sitting next to Elsa. "So, what is that you've got there?" inquires Kristian as he nods towards the paper. "Is that the work you are going to be doing today?"

"In a way," replies Elsa. "I'm just organizing a list of things that need to be done over the winter months. With the fiord waters beginning to freeze over, activity in the village is settling down. So there is little demand for my time. This is just something to help me keep the kingdom in order."

"Then today you have a free day," says Kristian. "Is there anything special that you have in mind to do?"

"I thought that Anna and I would go see our parents today," replies Elsa. "Since Kristoff will be attending to Goran's mausoleum today, I thought that Anna and I could have a solemn celebration at our parent's memorial."

"Then this will just be a day for the two of you," comments Kristian. "Very well, I shall find something to preoccupy my time. I believe the cooks and the bakers could use a hand today. They always seem to like the way I can control the temperature in a baking oven."

"Yes, you could work with the kitchen staff; but I wouldn't mind if you came with Anna and me, today," replies Elsa. "I mean if you don't mind listening to a couple of ladies reminiscing over the loss of their parents."

"Um… sure, it won't be a problem for me to come; but are you sure you don't want to share this moment with just Anna?" questions Kristian.

"Even if you are there, it will not be a bother," replies Elsa. "I've spent all of my life trying to keep secrets. Now I don't want to do that anymore. So in a way, I actually want you there. It would be nice to share things with someone other than my sister."

"All right, I will come with you today," says Kristian. "Besides, how can I not say yes to spending time with two beautiful ladies?"

"You better be talking about Anna and me," replies Elsa with a smile. "Or are there two other attractive ladies you are talking about?"

Kristian smiles a little. Then he says, "I wish that I was fortunate enough to have two other ladies on the side. It certainly would make life more fun."

"Oh, you devil!" exclaims Elsa with a slight laugh, as she creates a snowball. Then Elsa projects the snowball towards Kristian.

Kristian was expecting this move. So he just laughs as Kristian quickly raises a flaming hand into the air. With this hand, Kristian is easily able to vaporize the snowball away. "I take it that you don't approve of my last comment," says Kristian with a smile.

Elsa giggles a little. Then she says with a smile, "Of course not. What women would want to have their guy spending time with another lady?"

"OK, I get the message," replies Kristian with a smile. "I will only be spending time with one beautiful lady, you."

"Good," says Elsa with a smile. "And if you don't, you know what you will be getting from me."

"I know, a genuine cold shoulder. If not the deep freeze," replies Kristian with a smile.

"Correct, but I was thinking more in line with a cold seat," says Elsa with a giggle.

With this statement, Elsa begins to cause ice to form on the legs of the chair that Kristian is sitting on. This ice quickly moves up the legs of the chair. Then the ice begins to cover the seat of the chair itself. It was at this time that Kristian realizes that Elsa is icing over the chair.

In response, Kristian stands up quickly. At the same time, he exclaims with disapproval, "Hey!"

With this reaction from Kristian, Elsa begins to laugh. Then after a brief moment of annoyance, Kristian begins to laugh as well. Then Kristian uses his magic to thaw the chair out. Once the chair thaws, Kristian sits back down at the table. So with the fooling around done for now, Elsa and Kristian are able to enjoy their breakfast with each other's company.

* * *

A little later that morning, Elsa and Anna leave the palace to visit the two large stones that represent the memorials to those lost at sea. These stones have taken on a very significant importance for the sisters. This is because Anna and Elsa lost their parents due to a storm at sea. Thus the stones have become the memorial markers for the former king and queen.

Besides Anna and Elsa, two other figures travel with this royal family. One person is Kristian, and the other individual is Olaf. It takes this group a little time to reach the location of the markers. Once there, there was a brief moment of silence as Elsa and Anna remember the loss of their parents.

Finally, Anna speaks up. "Elsa, do you remember all of the attention that our parents gave us? It was like they would almost not leave us alone."

"I know," replies Elsa. "Mom and dad got very protective after our accident. They wanted to make sure that you and I were both safe."

"I can understand why they might have wanted to keep us safe. Any parent would try and do the same. Yet, why did they keep us so busy? There was always a subject we had to study." says Anna.

"It was partly because we were the children of the king," replies Elsa. "Since I was heir to the throne, it was important that I was well educated. Though, I must admit that they might have pushed our education a little harder than normal. I think it was their way of keeping us too busy to truly interact. In truth, I didn't mind all the studying. It helped to keep my mind off my problem. The problem I was having with my magical abilities."

"Well they didn't keep us apart all of the time," comments Anna as she walks up next to Elsa. Then Anna wraps an arm around her sister. Then with a smile, Anna continues. "We did have several meals together as a family."

"I guess so," replies Elsa as she contemplates Anna's comment.

"We also had some studies together as well," adds Anna with a grin. "I thought ballroom etiquette was rather fun."

"Yes, that was rather enjoyable," replies Elsa with a slight smile. "I do remember you twirling around quite a lot during those lessons."

"Of course," says Anna with a big grin on her face. Then Anna steps away from Elsa. Then Anna begins to sway and swirl a little as she dances in the snow. While doing this, Anna says "I got to pretend that I was at a dance with music and lots of people. It was also a time that I actually got to be with you, even if our parents kept our interaction under control. Still, I couldn't help but enjoy those little moments."

"I sort of enjoyed those moments as well," responds Elsa. "I was still worried about harming you and our parents, but it did feel nice to be included."

"It was so unfair to you the way that you had to be isolated," says Anna. "Yet, you have to admit that our parents did try to make the best of the situation. They always tried to find ways to include you in everything that we did as a family. I remember the nights were we would stargaze out on the bridge. It felt so magical out there under the stars."

"I know what you mean. The magic during those nights seemed to make my own powers seem less significant," adds Elsa. "Those nights made me feel like I was part of the family again."

"I'm sure there were other times as well," continues Anna. "In fact, we are approaching one of those times right now."

"Yes, Christmas was always enjoyable," adds Elsa. "Besides, winter was always my favorite time of year as a child. Any problems that I had with my magic could easily be explained by the weather. So I was able to relax a little. Now that I think about it, that may have helped me to control my powers better."

"All I knew back then was that you were there," replies Anna. "I know that I tried to play with you during Christmas and there were a few times that we did play together. However, we never were able to play alone; but now I know why. Yet, Christmas was always a wonderful time."

"There was always so much love during Christmas," adds Elsa. "I could feel it coming from our parents and from you. It is the reason that I wanted to come here with you. I had such a hard time dealing with my abilities after hearing about the death of our parents. Because of my magic, I couldn't be there for you. Now I want to make that up to you, and to remember the love that our parents had for us."

With this said, Elsa begins to use her powers to create a Christmas tree out of ice. Then next to this tree, Elsa creates two full size replicas of her parents out of ice. In these replicas, Elsa's father has his arm around Elsa's mother. Of course both parents are smiling in a loving way.

Once done with the ice sculptures, Elsa begins to decorate the two memorial stones with intricate designs made of ice. When Elsa was done with all of her work, the display nearly resembled the private family quarters in the palace.

"There, what do you think?" then asks Elsa as she is satisfied with the work that she has done.

"It is beautiful, Elsa; but it is not quite done yet," replies Anna.

"Not done?" asks a puzzled Elsa. "I thought that I captured everything perfectly. I got all the important parts of the tree and our parents. Plus, I think my replica of the family quarters is fairly good. What more does it need?"

"Everything that you have created is perfect. It's just missing one thing, a sense of family," replies Anna.

"Family?" questions Elsa.

"Yes, you've got our parents; but where are the two of us?" replies Anna with a smile.

"Oh, is that what you want to see?" says Elsa with a smile. "You want a whole family event." So Elsa quickly creates two full sized images of Anna and herself as children. While these young replicas of the girls are happy in appearance, they are also reserved in what they are doing.

"That's a better feeling for a family, but you sort of missing the feeling of Christmas," comments Anna. "I really like the love you have being portrayed by our parents, but where is our excitement for Christmas? I don't know about you, but I was always excited to see what I was going to get for presents."

"Too much of a family portrait here, huh," replies Elsa as she examines her work. "All right, you want to see some childhood excitement." So Elsa creates presents under the tree. Then Elsa changes the images of Anna and her to show the excitement for the gifts. "Yes, that is better; but it is not quite right," comment Elsa. So Elsa changes the sculpture again. This time Elsa has Anna tearing into one of the presents, and Elsa has herself carefully opening another present.

"Yes, I am liking this," comments Anna. "This is how I remember our Christmases being like."

"I will agree with you. This is definitely better," adds Elsa. "Yet, I think I can make one slight improvement." So with this comment, Elsa alters the sculpture once again. This time, the Anna sculpture is holding a doll in her arms with the biggest smile you ever did see. As for the Elsa sculpture, she was holding a tiara. You could also see a very bright smile on her face as well.

"Oh Elsa, you remembered my favorite doll!" exclaims Anna. "I was so overjoyed when I received it! Even today, I cherish it. I have it safely stored away in its own box."

"I remember you being fond of that doll," replies Elsa with a smile. "It was the happiest that I ever remember you being."

Then Anna looks over at the ice sculpture of Elsa and examines the gift in its hands. "You seem to be really happy with your gift too, Elsa," comments Anna. "You were so reserved in your actions back then, but I do remember you being very happy when you received that tiara."

"It was more than just a tiara to me, Anna," replies Elsa. "It was my first crown, given to me by our father. That tiara meant everything to me. It represented my royal heritage. Since our father gave it to me, it meant that he accepted me as his daughter. He was willing to accept me even with the problems that I could cause with my magic. That simple tiara made me feel like his daughter. It made me part of the family."

While Elsa was speaking, Anna could see a slight tear form on her sister's face. Yet, Elsa was still smiling. So when Elsa finished speaking, Anna walks up to her sister and gives her a long hug. In response, Elsa holds tightly onto her sister.

Finally, the sisters release each other. Then Anna says, "You have always been part of the family. In fact, right now you are the most important part of this family; and I am glad that you have allowed me to be a part of your life."

"How could I not allow you into my life," replies Elsa with a grin. "You kept on pestering me. I had to let you in otherwise you would never stop."

With a smile of annoyance, Anna gives Elsa a slight shove on her arm. Then she says with a smile, "You're one to speak. I had to be pushy. Otherwise you would have never allowed anyone get close to you, little miss leave me alone!"

After this back and forth banter, Elsa and Anna burst into laughter. While the sisters are laughing, Olaf speaks to Kristian. "Isn't Christmas the best time of year? It's a time when love is freely shared, and family becomes the most important thing to all those involved."

"Yes, family is important," says Kristian somberly as he watches Anna and Elsa interact. Then after a moment of watching, Kristian drops his head slightly and stares at the ground.

Olaf notices this action. So he asks, "Hey Kristian, are you OK?"

For a moment, Kristian is quiet. Then he says quietly, "I've got to go." So without another word, Kristian turns and begins to walk away.

"Kristian, where are you going?" asks Olaf out of concern.

"To be with family," replies Kristian without turning to look at Olaf. So in this manner, Kristian continues to walk away.

"But…, I thought that we were your family," says Olaf quietly.

(I really struggled with this interaction between Anna and Elsa here. However, I thought that it was important because it affects Kristian's next action. I think I almost spent three weeks working on this chapter.)


	3. Chapter 3

After witnessing Elsa's and Anna's trip down memory lane, Kristian is feeling isolated. All the family that he had in the world is gone, and watching Elsa and Anna talk about their family has reminded Kristian of this. Now all Kristian wants to do is to find someway of reconnecting to what memories he has left of his past life. This has left Kristian lost in his own thoughts as he walks away from Elsa and the others.

As Kristian walks away, Olaf just stands there and watches him leave. As Kristian does leave, someone else finally notices the absence of his presence. It was Elsa. She just happens to look up, and Elsa sees Kristian disappearing over a hill. "Kristian?" exclaims Elsa out of surprise. "Kristian, where are you going?" then loudly exclaims Elsa.

"He's leaving without saying goodbye!" then says Anna with surprise. "His behavior is rather rude, especially after you invited him along."

"Kristian has been acting a bit odd lately," replies Elsa. "Ever since we started preparing for the holiday, something seems to be troubling him."

"Do you have any idea what it is?" then asks Anna as she and Elsa move towards Olaf.

"I haven't a clue," replies Elsa. Then as Elsa and Anna near Olaf, Elsa addresses Olaf. "Olaf, do you know were Kristian is going?"

"He said he was heading to be with family," replies Olaf.

"Family?" replies Anna in puzzlement.

"That was my question," responds Olaf. "If he wanted to be with family, I would have thought that he would hang around with us. We are his family, right?"

"I wouldn't mind if he did consider us his family," replies Elsa. "But all we really are is really close friends."

"Well, if we aren't his family, then who is?" then asks Olaf.

As far as I know, all of Kristian's family has passed away," replies Elsa. "Even Goran is a solid block of ice. Honestly, I have no idea what Kristian has in mind."

"Well, Kristian was heading back to the village," comments Anna. "Is there anybody there that he might confide in?"

"Olaf and I are the closes friends that Kristian has in the kingdom," replies Elsa. "I can't think of anybody else that he might turn too."

"Yep, Kristian and I are great friends," chirps Olaf. "And sure Elsa, you've been paling around with him a lot too. Yet, if you really want to talk about closeness, you have to admit that Mattias hangs around Kristian a lot."

"Perhaps, Kristian is heading to confide in Mattias," says Elsa as she ponders the thought.

"Maybe; but Elsa, if Kristian is troubled by something, you need to talk to him about it," comments Anna.

"I don't know if I should," replies Elsa. "I don't want to appear nosey and pry into his private thoughts."

"Elsa, if you don't ask Kristian what is wrong, he could be acting poorly all through out the holiday," says Anna. "At least if you ask, you might be able to find a way to fix his problem."

"Hey, I'll ask him!" chirps Olaf. "I can poke and prod him until he tells me what the trouble is!"

"No Olaf, that is OK," replies Elsa. Then with a sigh, she continues, "I guess that I better go myself and find out what is going on with Kristian." With this comment, Elsa begins to head back towards the palace to find Kristian. As Elsa walks back, she is followed by Anna and Olaf.

Once Elsa and the others are back at the palace, they inquire with the staff if Kristian had returned. He had returned, and Kristian was last seen heading towards his quarters in the palace dungeon. So after thanking the servants for their help, Elsa heads for the dungeon. Of course, Olaf and Anna go along with her.

As this small party nears the cell door that leads into Kristian's room, Elsa stops and turns around. "Anna, I think it would be best if I talk to Kristian alone," she says.

"If you think that would be best," replies Anna.

"I do. Kristian might not be as open with me if others are around," says Elsa. "If I talk to him alone, I might be able to figure out what is going on."

"Should I stay behind too?" then asks Olaf.

"I think that would be best," replies Elsa. "However, if I have any trouble talking with Kristian, I'll send for your help. If I can't get Kristian to open up, I know that you can. Kristian always seems to weaken his resolve, whenever he talks with you."

"I'll be ready to do my part!" chirps Olaf. "Don't worry. I'm sure Kristian will talk to you. Yet, if he doesn't, I know that he'll talk to me. For, how can anybody resist an adorable snowman?"

"You are adorable, but it may take more than charm to get Kristian to talk," replies Elsa with a slight smile.

With this last statement, Elsa then turns and moves to knock on the door that leads into Kristian's room. "Kristian, can I speak to you?" asks Elsa. However, no response can be heard coming from the room.

So Elsa then carefully grabs the door handle and carefully opens the door. As the door opens, everyone can see the light of a fire coming from inside the room. "Kristian?" then asks Elsa again. Again there is no response coming from the room.

Finally, Elsa is able to see into the room. What she is able to see is Kristian sitting erect on the floor in the middle of the room. His eyes are closed and Kristian's hands are resting on his legs. Besides the way that his body was positioned, flames can be seen coming off of his entire body.

As Elsa then enters the room, a screech is heard coming from another fire that is sitting on a stone ledge. This fire is Mattias, a firebird that Kristian had created. He is also Kristian's closest companion. Since Elsa is now present in the room, Mattias begins to solidify into a more solid form.

"Hello, Mattias," says Elsa as she briefly greets the firebird with a slight nod. However, Elsa's main concern right now is Kristian. So Elsa asks, "Kristian, can you hear me?" Still there is no response from this gentleman sitting on the floor.

Finally as Elsa nears Kristian, she gets down onto the floor to examine him more closely. To Elsa, Kristian appears to be fine. He just seems to be unresponsive. "What are you up too?" asks Elsa mainly to herself.

Suddenly Elsa hears Olaf calling from the doorway. "Hey Kristian, are you awake?"

In response to Olaf, Elsa shifts herself around on the floor so that she can look at the snowman. What Elsa notices is Olaf standing a few feet inside the room. Behind Olaf stands Anna. Anna is actually just outside the doorway looking in.

As Elsa's eyes fall upon Anna, Anna asks, "Is everything all right, Elsa?"

"I think so," replies Elsa as she pushes herself up off the floor. Then Elsa walks over to Olaf as Anna then enters the room. "I think Kristian has placed himself into some sort trance," says Elsa as she talks with Anna.

"Why would he do that?" asks a puzzled Anna.

"I'm not really sure," replies Elsa. "I know that he has been practicing a type of mental control over his magic, but I have never seen Kristian place himself this deep before. He doesn't even know we are here."

"It sort of reminds me of when Kristian was battling Tollak on the mental plain," chirps Olaf. "Does he have family on the mental plain?"

"Could that be it?" ponders Elsa. "Could Kristian be visiting the memories he has of his parents?"

"If he is, we won't find out about it until he comes out of his trance," replies Anna.

Yes, we will have to wait…, unless," responds Elsa as she begins to ponder an idea.

"Unless, what?" asks Anna.

"Well, I could possibly join Kristian on the mental plain," replies Elsa. "It shouldn't be too difficult for me to accomplish that."

"I thought the mental plain was as vast as the real world, if not bigger," replies Anna. "If you got onto the mental plain, how would you even find him?"

"Kristian has already created the path," replies Elsa. "All I would need to do is follow him down that path. That would require me to connect to his magic. Then I should be able to follow him straight to where his mind has gone."

"Can you actually do that?" asks a concerned Anna. "His ability is fire. I am worried that there might be a reaction between your magic and Kristian's."

"Kristian and I have worked together many times," says Elsa trying to reassure Anna. "However this time, I will have to find the balance between fire and ice on my own. Yet, that is not my biggest concern. I am wondering if I even should. Because I would hate to intrude on some private memory of Kristian's"

"Kristian hasn't tried to hide anything from you," chirps Olaf. "Sure he may be reluctant at times, but Kristian has always shared everything from his past with you. I bet he will be all smiles when he sees your face."

"I'm not so sure," replies Elsa. "Anna, what do you think?"

"Well, I do know that we all like our privacy; but privacy can be taken too far, especially when that privacy is causing problems," comments Anna. "In that case, it is better if whatever is causing the problem is out in the open. Maybe you should follow Kristian to the mental plain. Even if he is displeased with your presence, Kristian isn't the type of person to hold any resentment. Besides, he likes you."

After listening to Anna's comments, Elsa turns and looks back at Kristian. She ponders what her sister had said. Finally, Elsa lets out a slight sigh. "I think you're right," says Elsa. "It would be best to get to the reasons of Kristian's troubles."

So Elsa moves over next to Kristian and kneels down onto the floor. For a moment, she just looks at him. Elsa watches Kristian as he breaths steadily. She can also see the flames coming from ever surface of Kristian's body. Then Elsa begins to carefully move her hand over to Kristian's hand.

As she does, Elsa begins to generate a slight magical energy around this hand. Then Elsa's hand enters the flames. She grimaces from the pain of the heat as Elsa's hand makes contact with Kristian's hand. However, this pain does not last very long. Having done this many times with Kristian, Elsa is able to adjust her magic to have it become balanced with Kristian's magic. As this balance is achieved, the flames that cover Kristian move part way up Elsa's arm. Elsa also begins to focus her thoughts so she can follow Kristian on his mental journey.


	4. Chapter 4

As Elsa was making an attempt at following Kristian, Kristian was preoccupied with his own thing. While Elsa was partly right about what Kristian was doing, Kristian was not actually in the mental plain. Kristian actually had transported his conscious to his old mountain home. It was a trick that Grand Pabbie had taught him.

To transport his conscious to another location, Kristian needed a part of his magic at that other location. Fortunately, Kristian had left two flaming markers on the top of his parents' graves as a tribute to them. At that time, Kristian didn't realize that he would be able to use these magical stones he created to come back. The flames had actually gone out on the stones some time ago. However, there was enough residual magic left in the stones for Kristian to make a connection. Once the connection was made, the stones flared backed to life with fire.

Technically, Kristian is not actually physically here at the grave markers. The form that Kristian takes is totally made of fire. However, this form is not the erratic flames that Tollak had used in his fiery form. The flames that Kristian is using are smooth with only small flare ups coming off the top of his shoulders and head.

Anyway, at this particular moment, Kristian was glad that he could come back to his old mountain home. He needed to be here right now. After witnessing the joy and sadness of Anna and Elsa at their parents' memorial, Kristian needed to release his own pent up emotions. Kristian needed to be with what was left of his family. Right now, the only family that Kristian can think about is these two grave markers.

While back on his mountain, Kristian has been reminiscing with the grave marker of his mother. "Hi, mom. Well, another Christmas is coming again," says Kristian. "It has been a long time since I've celebrated Christmas. Heck, it's been a long time since I celebrated any holiday. You know how Goran was like. He didn't celebrate the holidays. However, things have changed. Goran is no longer an influence on my life anymore. Now I have a chance to celebrate the holidays with people that really care about me."

While Kristian was talking, he had spent some of the time cleaning the snow off the grave stones. Once Kristian finishes speaking, he pauses for a moment. Kristian's head drops down as he looks at the bottom of his mother's tombstone. Then he has, "Mom, I'm having a harder time with this holiday than I thought I would. When I was living with Goran, Christmas was always a sad time for me. Yet, I could always confide in you here. I always knew that I was missing out, but I didn't realize just how much I was missing."

"However, now all that has changed. Do you remember the girlfriend that I told you about, Elsa? She has allowed me into her life. So this year I am spending Christmas with her family and friends, and I am seeing what that means to all of them. The problem is, when I watch them, I begin to see what they have and what I don't. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed watching and participating in many of their activities. It's just well… they're all family to one another, where I am not. Sometimes I feel like I am still an outsider. I know that I shouldn't be feeling this way, but I can't seem to shake this feeling. I find myself wanting what they had as children, and that has been making me miserable."

By now, Kristian has cleared a small area around the grave markers of snow. With the snow gone, Kristian finds a nearby boulder for himself to sit on. As he sits down, Kristian says, "I'm really missing you a lot right now, mom. You're the only family that I have left, and you aren't even here. Maybe it is crazy for me to be talking to you like this, but what else can I do?"

While sitting there, Kristian's eyes look towards the ground. It was during this time that Kristian suddenly hears a hiss as if something was rapidly melting. So he looks up to see what might be making the hiss. It does not take long for Kristian to find out what is causing the noise. What he sees is the fires that cover the enchanted stones have changed color. Instead of the normal orange red of fire, the stones now burn with a blue flame.

"What?" exclaims Kristian as he stands up and stares at the color change of the flames.

Then suddenly Kristian hears a voice coming from behind him. "Kristian, is that you?" asks the voice.

Kristian turns around and stares in astonishment. "Elsa?!" exclaims Kristian out of surprise.

The thing that Kristian sees is an elegant crystalline ice figure of Elsa standing about twenty feet away from him. Just like what Kristian had done with his magic, Elsa has used her powers in an attempt to enter Kristian's mind. However, it was not Kristian's mind that she entered. Instead, all Elsa's magic did was follow Kristian's conscious to this place. As it did Elsa's own magic created the form that her own mind now controls.

"It is you isn't it, Kristian," says Elsa as she walks towards Kristian. "And I am sorry about intruding on you like this, but I was worried about you."

"You shouldn't be here!" exclaims Kristian out of shock. "Elsa, how did you even manage to get here? It should have been impossible!"

"It was a little tricky by myself, but I have worked with your magic before," replies Elsa. "I'm just sitting next to you in your room and inserted my magic into your magical energy. Then I focused my thoughts so that I could join you on the mental plain. I do hope that you aren't too upset about me being here."

"What are you talking about?" asks a perplexed Kristian. "Elsa, this isn't the mental plain. This is my old home. This is the place that I used to live with Goran and my mother."

"This isn't a creation of your mind?" exclaims Elsa out of surprise. "I just assumed you were back reliving an old memory. I never imagined you would have traveled somewhere!"

"I can't believe that you are even here!" exclaims Kristian. "I'm only able to be here because I left a piece of my magic behind. You don't have any magic here that you can use as a focus. So how in the world are you even able to send your magic here?"

"I think you are forgetting one thing, Kristian," replies Elsa. "I do have something here that I can use as a focus. I have worked with you and your magic on many occasions. So I have become very familiar with your style of magic. I've come to know it almost as well as I know my own. So you see, as long as you don't object, you can act as the focus for me to use."

"I didn't realize that I was becoming that familiar to you," says Kristian as he feels a little uncertain about this situation.

"Oh, there are still many things that I could still learn about you; and I am sure there are things that you can learn about me," replies Elsa. "However, I think we both know each other well enough to understand each other on a very intimate level." With this Elsa smiles at Kristian in the hopes of reassuring him.

In response, Kristian smiles back. Then he says, "I suppose that you do have something here that is a pretty good focus."

With Kristian's smile, Elsa is feeling a little more relieved about being there. So Elsa allows herself to examine the surroundings a bit. So it doesn't take Elsa long for her sight to fall upon the two tombstones. Then Elsa asks, "So what are these two stones supposed to represent? Are they grave markers?"

Kristian turns to look at the tombstones, and he lets out a slight sigh. Then he says, "Yes, they are grave markers. This is where my parents are buried. I just needed to come back here to see them again."

"Is it because of Anna and me that you left us so abruptly to come here?" asks Elsa politely. "Was I neglecting you?"

"What?" exclaims Kristian out of surprise as he turns to look back at Elsa. "I'm sorry about leaving like I did, but you and Anna had nothing to do with my leaving, well… not directly anyway. I suppose in a way, you were spending too much time with me."

"Too much time? I thought you would have enjoyed spending this Christmas with me and all of my family," replies Elsa.

"I did enjoy many of the moments over the past few days," says Kristian. "However, I was also noticing how you and Anna would reminisce about your parents. Well…, listening to the two of you talk about your parents was starting to get to me."

"Our trips down memory lane were bothering you?" asks a surprised Elsa. "I'm sorry, but I did not think Anna's and my memorable family moments would annoy you."

"You're misunderstanding," replies Kristian. "Listening to Anna and you did not bother me like that. It's just that listening to the two of you was beginning to remind me of my own life. Seeing what your sister and you had as children, even with the difficulties of your magic, was reminding me of what I didn't have."

"I knew it was likely that you wouldn't have had much of a Christmas in your past. Yet, I thought if I involved you in this one, you would have enjoyed it immensely," says Elsa. "I didn't think you would have been brought down by it."

"I'm grateful for the effort, Elsa; but I'm just intruding on your family's fun," replies Kristian. "It is the reason why I came here. Just like you are with your family, I had to be with the only family that I know."

"What? But Kristian, I do consider you to be a part of my family, my family of cherished friends," exclaims Elsa. "It is why I wanted to have you be a part of this Christmas celebration."

"You consider me to be family?" replies Kristian as he is puzzled and surprised by Elsa's remark. "I would have thought you would have only included Anna and her fiancé as part of your family.

I won't deny that Anna is very important to me, and I have come to appreciate having Kristoff around," comments Elsa. "However, while I cherish Anna and Kristoff, they are by no means the only family I have. You are forgetting about Olaf."

"OK, so there is Olaf as well; but he is a creation of your magic," replies Kristian. "So in a way, he can almost be considered a child of yours, a child of your magic."

"Yes, Olaf and I are both creatures of magic, one completely made of magic and the other possessing magic," says Elsa. "However, there is another individual in Arendelle that possesses magic as well; and that person is you. That makes you part of a family of beings that even my sister Anna doesn't belong too. I, for one, am glad that you are part of that family; and I have come to cherish your presence in my life."

"I've come to enjoy you in my life as well," replies Kristian. "I'm just sorry that I am ruining this Christmas for you."

"You haven't ruined it," says Elsa. "Actually, I think I've been the one who has been ruining Christmas for you."

"The way that I've been feeling has nothing to do with what you have done," objects Kristian. "I'm just having issues with my past. Issues that I have to work out."

"But that is how I've been ruining this Christmas. I've been so concerned about making you a part of my Christmas, that I've never tried to be a part of yours," replies Elsa. "I've should have been talking with you. I've been so busy reliving the past with Anna, especially concerning our parents. I've done that so much that I have neglected you and your parents. I should have been honoring your parents just like I've honored mine."

"Elsa, it is a nice idea; but I don't see what you can do to honor my parents," says Kristian. "You never knew them, and my live was not all that memorable. Most of the time I just try and forget my past."

"If you were trying to forget your past, then you wouldn't be here," replies Elsa. "Plus, I think there is a way that I can help you honor your parents."

Then after this comment, Elsa raises a crystalline hand into the air. With this motion, Elsa uses her magic to create a Christmas tree out of ice between the two tombstones. Then Elsa begins to create other structures out of ice and snow around the area. Soon the whole area becomes exquisite to the eyes in beautiful creations.

"Whoa," says Kristian as he looks around at what Elsa has done. "Sometimes I just can't believe that you are able to create all of this beauty, but I don't understand why you would."

"I honored my parents by creating a beautiful display to celebrate the Christmases we had together," replies Elsa. "It is only fitting that I should do the same for the parents of the man that I love. I would do more if I could, but I have no idea what you or your parents look like when you were young."

"You have always done so much for me, Elsa. Sometimes, I wonder if I deserve it," says Kristian. "However, why don't you let me handle the final details."

So Kristian begins to raise his hands made of total fire. As he does, a fire begins to swirl up from the ground a few feet away from the Christmas tree. The fire flares to a little over four feet in height before it begins to form into the image of two people. One image is of a woman sitting on a chair holding a book and reading it aloud. This woman wore an elegant gown, and she looked very refined.

The other figure was of a boy sitting on the floor. This boy had his hands resting on the legs of the woman, and it looked like he was listening to the woman read.

"I take it that is you and your mother," inquires Elsa about the creation.

"Yes, it is the fondest memory that I have of my mother," replies Kristian. "She would wear that dress on special occasions, and the gift that she would often give me was stories of a wonderful kingdom. I would sometimes dream that I was living in that kingdom."

"I guess in a way, that dream has come true for you. Now that you are living in Arendelle," comments Elsa with a smile.

"Huh? I really haven't thought about being in Arendelle in terms of that dream," replies Kristian. "But I suppose the dream has become reality. It's not exactly like the stories my mother use to tell. Yet in some ways, reality is better than the dream."

After this comment, Kristian then begins to create another image composed of fire. This second figure stands several feet away. It is of a man dressed in warm travel clothing. A sword hangs from his side, and a cape hangs down from his back.

"Your father?" questions Elsa.

"I really don't remember him that well," replies Kristian. "This is how I last remember seeing him. My father came to the mountain to bring my mother and me back home. However, I didn't know who he was at the time. For most of my life, I hated this man because of what happened to my mother. Now I understand that wasn't his fault. My father was trying to do right by my mother and me, and Goran ended both of their lives for my father's attempt to accomplish it. I've gained a respect for my father for what he tried to do. I'm just sorry that my life has given my family such miserable luck."

"I am sorry for your loss, Kristian," says Elsa. "Yet, from what I can tell, your mother loved you and you loved her. She did her best to keep you safe and give you a secure home. It is also thanks to her that you did not succumb to Goran's influences. So if it wasn't for your mother, I wouldn't be here talking with one of my closest friends."

Kristian begins to smile. Then he says, "My mom always did try to do the best that she could for me."

"Why don't you tell me about her?" asks Elsa politely.

"What, now?" replies Kristian with some surprise.

"This place obviously contains a lot of memories for you," responds Elsa. "I think it might do you some good if you shared some of those memories, and I am more than willing to listen."

For a short while, Kristian ponders what Elsa has said. Finally he says, "All right, I guess it won't hurt to share a few memories."

So Kristian begins to tell Elsa of his past on the mountain. He tells about the time when his mother and he showed up on the plateau during a winter. Kristian tells of how the mountain winds were causing difficulty on the journey. Kristian also tells of how he was barely able to keep his flames lit in the strong winds. These are the same flames that Kristian was using to try and keep his mother warm.

While talking about this, Kristian begins to lead Elsa up to the higher plateau. This higher plateau is where the houses were that sheltered everyone from the elements. As they reach this plateau, Kristian begins to tell Elsa about the first encounter with Goran. Kristian tells of how his mother and he first turned to move away from Goran. This is because Goran saw Kristian flaming. Kristian then tells of how Goran revealed his power to them and how the cold eventually drove them both into Goran's home to seek shelter.

Elsa had heard these stories before. However, actually being here has given Elsa a better appreciation of what Kristian had gone through. Not to mention the fact that Kristian is able to talk about his life in more detail. This is because this place on the mountain brings memories back to Kristian.

What initially was only going to be a short tour turns into a lengthy trip down memory lane for Kristian. However, Elsa didn't mind. In fact, she was curious. Kristian was the type of guy who wouldn't lie to Elsa, but he wasn't likely to open up and talk freely about things he felt uncomfortable about sharing.

Anyway, for almost a half hour, Kristian talked about his time with his mother. Finally, Kristian was getting fatigued at maintaining this fiery projection of himself. So eventually, Kristian stumbles a bit because he is getting tired.

"Kristian, are you OK?" asks Elsa as she sees Kristian stumble.

"I'm fine. I'm just getting a little tired," replies Kristian as he straightens himself up.

"I'm beginning to feel a little tired as well," adds Elsa. "We should both head back to Arendelle. The amount of energy required to maintain these forms are beginning to fatigue us both."

"Part of me wishes that I could disagree with you, but you're right," replies Kristian. "Anyway, I could always come back some other day after I am well rested."

"Well if you want, I could always come back with you when you do," suggests Elsa. "I would be more than willing to give you some company."

Kristian smiles as he looks at the beautiful crystalline form of Elsa. Then he says, "I may actually take you up on your offer some day."

So with this last statement, Kristian's image begins to fade. As Kristian's image fades, so does Elsa's image. After all, Elsa was only able to be here because of her connection to Kristian. So as their images fade, their consciousness are transported back to their respective physical forms. As both Elsa and Kristian return to their bodies, the flames that cover all of Kristian and parts of Elsa fade away.

With the flames gone, both Kristian and Elsa open their eyes and look at each other. "Hi," says Kristian with a smile on his face. Kristian also moves his hand to take hold of Elsa's hand, which was resting on his hand during the trance.

"Hi, yourself," replies Elsa with a smile on her face as well.

Finally their gaze is broken by the sound of Anna's voice. "Well, it is about time," exclaims Anna in a relieved tone. "I was beginning to get a little worried."

In response, both Elsa and Kristian turn to look at Anna and Olaf. "Anna, I completely forgot that you were here!" exclaims Elsa.

"Obviously," replies Anna. "It has almost been an hour since we came here. Do you know what it is like just sitting here and not knowing what is going on."

"I'm sorry Anna, but I got a little preoccupied with Kristian," says Elsa as she and Kristian get up from the floor. "I hope that we haven't upset you too much."

"I'm starting to get use to these sorts of things between you and Kristian," replies Anna. "Yet, sometimes they will still unnerve me."

"I can't even believe that you are all here!" exclaims Kristian.

"Of course we are all here, Kristian," replies Anna. "We all care about you, and Elsa was becoming concerned. So we had to make sure that you were OK."

"Right, where else would we go?" chirps Olaf. "When a member of our family needs us, we will always be there to help in any manner that we can!"

"Family!" exclaims Kristian in surprise. "I hardly consider myself a member of your family. I'm merely just a friend to all of you."

"Don't be ridiculous!" exclaims Anna. "Of course you're family! All of us here are way beyond that of close friends. So the only word that can best describe us is family!"

"Yes, and we will always try to do right by members of our family," adds Elsa.

"Speaking of doing what is right, did you manage to resolve what was troubling Kristian?" asks Anna.

"Not so much as resolved it, but more like gotten an understanding of the situation," replies Elsa. "It is going to be more of a work in progress."

"So, what needs to be done? I'll be glad to help!" chirps Olaf.

"There is not much to do right now," replies Elsa. Then she looks over to Anna and continues, "However, we may need to tone down our celebration. I want Kristian to enjoy this Christmas, and our exuberance may make that difficult."

"Don't ruin your Christmas because of me," interjects Kristian. "That is the last thing that I wanted to do. I was hoping to deal with things on my own so that I wouldn't disturb your enjoyment. Now it looks like I've done just that."

"Christmas is about spending time with the people that we love," replies Elsa. "And besides Anna, I can't think of anyone else that I would want to spend time with."

"Hey, what about me?" chirps Olaf. "Don't you want to spend time with me too?"

"Of course I want to spend time with you, Olaf," replies Elsa with a smile. "It just wouldn't be Christmas without you, Kristoff, and Mattias there as well."

"We certainly will make the strangest family that anyone has ever seen!" chirps Olaf.

"We're not actually a family. We're just friends," replies Kristian. "Granted, we are close friends, but we are just still friends."

"Kristian, it takes more than blood to make a family," politely objects Anna. "Kristoff is not yet related to Elsa and me. Yet, we both consider him as part of our family. Then there is Olaf as well. He is not a blood relation, and yet he is family."

"Yep, I am bloodless, not a drop," chirps Olaf. "My pasty pale complexion is proof of that."

A smile comes to everyone's faces because of Olaf's comments. Then Elsa says, "Blood is only one way to measure what a family is. However, love and a commitment to one another is a more important measure of what a true family is all about. Both of which, I have for you, and I am certain that you have for me."

"That sentiment goes for me as well," adds Anna. "However, my affection is more of a platonic nature than that of my sister's."

"Well, I just love everybody that I meet! So I must have a really big family!" adds Olaf gleefully.

"Yes Olaf, you do have a very big family. All of Arendelle can be called your family," replies Elsa with a smile. Then Elsa turns and looks at Kristian. "Kristian, I know that you would like to keep your predicament a secret; and I will keep it a secret. However, you must also not forget that all of us are here for you."

"Elsa is right," adds Anna. "If there is one thing that true friends and a true family will do is help each other. Whatever it is you are going through, you've got a family here that cares about you."

"I know you all care. I just wanted to spare your celebration from my depression," replies Kristian.

Hey, there is nothing wrong with being sad," chirps Olaf. "It's just a short trip from being sad to being glad, and that trip is easier when you have good friends on the journey."

"Olaf is right," adds Elsa. Then Elsa stretches her hand out towards Kristian and continues to speak. "We need to take you on that special journey. So if you wouldn't mind, I think we can begin that trip by creating some new memories."

A slight smile comes to Kristian face as he reaches out and takes a hold of Elsa's hand. "If you are willing to put up with me, I will go along with whatever you have in mind," replies Kristian. "Just be warned, I might be a little moody on this trip."

"I think I will be able to find a way to brighten your mood," says Elsa with a devilish smile on her face as she begins to walk with Kristian out of his room.

"And if she can't, I'm sure that I will be able to put a smile on your face in no time!" chirps Olaf as he and Anna follow Elsa and Kristian out of the room.

* * *

(Honestly, I think that I get lost in coversations sometimes. Somehow, I need to find a way of shortening them.)


	5. Chapter 5

(This is a reply to a question. First let me state that I am surprised that anyone remembers that I mentioned that Kristian had a sister in the first story. It was an insignificant part of the first story. Anyway, in the last chapter, I did consider placing a flaming image of a very young girl standing next to the image of Kristian's father. However, I made Kristian's memory vague about his real early childhood. So if I did put an image there, I was thinking it would be of a generic little girl. I should also state that I was getting a little tired with that part of the story. So to hurry the writing along, I decided to leave it out. However, in retrospective, I probably should have included the additional scene.

In addition, right now it is harvest time. So I might not be able to post another chapter until November. That is what happens when you don't have any free time.)

* * *

While Elsa and the others are trying to ease the depression of Kristian, Kristoff was up in the mountains. One of Kristoff's duties as "Ice Master of Arendelle" was the overseeing of Goran's tomb. Goran was the man that raised Kristian after Kristian's mother had died. Of course Goran only did this so that he could use Kristian's powers for his own purpose.

Anyway, after Goran's run in with the Queen of Arendelle, he was frozen into solid ice. Since Goran was now in this fragile state and out of respect for Kristian, Queen Elsa had Goran entombed to preserve his icy form. Now the duties of caring for Goran and his tomb have fallen onto the shoulders of Kristoff.

So earlier in the day, Kristoff and Sven had headed up to Goran's tomb to deliver the last load of ice for the year. It took the pair a few hours to make it up to the tomb. Once there, Kristoff unlocked the iron gates over the entrance to the tomb and had moved the ice into the interior. Of course, Kristoff makes sure that the tomb was in order and is well kept. Yet, it didn't take long for Kristoff to see to the care of Goran's tomb.

So once Kristoff was done, he does not head back to the village of Arendelle. Instead, Kristoff heads in another direction. Since Kristoff has come this far, he figures that he could just travel a little further to one of his favorite places to visit. That place is located high on the North Mountain, and it was created by the Queen of Arendelle. That place was the Ice Palace.

Kristoff has always loved the Ice Palace. The size and flawlessness of the ice always leaves him in awe. So when ever Kristoff has an opportunity, he likes to visit the Ice Palace. It took Kristoff and Sven a couple of hours to reach this palace. However, Kristoff left Arendelle early in the morning. So he was able to arrive at the Ice Palace with plenty of daylight left.

When ever he visits, Kristoff likes to be alone at the Ice Palace. When he is, Kristoff is the king of the palace. Well, at least he pretends that he is the king. Of course he does have servants to take care of him, even if they are a bit on the rambunctious side. These servants are the snowgies. They are little snowmen that Elsa had created by accident. Now these snowgies tend to the care of the Ice Palace and attend to anyone who shows up at the palace. Today that is Kristoff.

After spending a little time as ruler of his little world, Kristoff decides that it is time to head back to the warm comforts of Arendelle. So as Kristoff leaves, he thanks his servants for their service and proceeds to leave for home.

The route that Kristoff takes is the easiest way down the mountain. This route takes him along a ridge that allows Kristoff to look down into the Western Valley. As he and Sven proceed along this route, Kristoff happens to notice movement down in the valley. "Hold up, Sven!" exclaims Kristoff as he wants to take a look at what is going on.

From his location, Kristoff is able to see a sled being pulled rapidly by two horses. There are two people on this sled, and both people seem to be frantic. In a second later, Kristoff is able to see why these people looked scared. These folks were being chased by several men on horses. Several of these men, that are chasing the sled, had their weapons in their hands.

"Bandits!" exclaims Kristoff. "Let's go, Sven! They need our help!" So as Kristoff pulls on the reins, Sven turns and begins to head down the steep slope of the valley.

At the bottom of the valley, the male driver of the sled was desperately trying to stay ahead of the bandits. Meanwhile, his female passenger fearfully hangs onto the careening sled. However, despite the frantic nature of the sleds movements, the bandits are able to close in on the sled. Eventually, one of these men is able to jump onto the back of the sled.

"Anton!" cries out the woman as she sees the bandit jump aboard.

The man, whose name is Anton, turns and sees the bandit reach forward and grabs onto the woman's arm. "Izabell!" exclaims Anton. He then drops the reins and leaps into the bandit.

This action by Anton causes the bandit to lose his grip on Izabell's arm, and both men fall into the back of the sled. While both men struggle with each other, Izabell reaches down and picks up the reins to continue to drive the horses forward. However, this interruption was enough for the rest of the bandits to come up alongside the sled and horses.

In response, Izabell veers the sled side to side to try and keep the bandits away. This causes Anton and the bandit on the sled to get thrown from side to side. Both men have to hang on the best that they can as they fight each other. Eventually, Anton is hanging over the edge of the sled and the bandit is trying to push him the rest of the way off.

However, the sled goes over a bump. This causes everyone on the sled to go up into the air for a brief moment. Izabell is able to land back down onto her seat. As for the bandit and Anton, their return to earth was a lot less pleasurable. Before the bump, Anton has a good grip on the side of the sled. However, the bandit only has a grip on Anton. This gave Anton the advantage. With his hand holding firmly onto the sled, Anton is able to pull the bandit towards him while both men are in the air.

So when both men come down again, they come down on the edge of the sled. Their own momentum does the rest. The result is both men go over the edge of the sled. The bandit goes tumbling along the ground as he gets left behind. However, Anton is able to hold onto the sled. While dangling off the side of the sled, Anton is able to put a foot onto the sled runner. Then he is able to pull himself back onto the sled.

Unfortunately, this was nearly the last bit of success that Anton and Izabell have against the bandits by themselves. For the next thing that happens is when one of the bandits on a horse is able to cut the reins on the sled. Now Izabell has no control over what the horses do. So eventually, the sled clips a tree; and it is sent over on its side. Now Izabell and Anton have to hang onto the sled as best as that they can. Soon the horses break free from the sled, and the sled comes to a sliding stop near to the edge of a steep drop off.

Now that the sled has stopped, Anton scrambles to his feet and pulls his sword. Izabell gets up as well and stands behind Anton. Meanwhile the bandits bring their horses to a stop several feet in front of Anton and Izabell.

"You gave us quite a chase," exclaims one of the bandits. "But your attempt to escape was doomed from the start. "We know this country. You obviously do not. Now your only option is to hand over everything that you have, or you can sacrifice your life before we take it anyway."

"You have taken most of what we have already!" exclaims Anton harshly as he brandishes his sword. "It was tossed during our flight! Take what you have already gotten and leave us be!"

With this statement, the bandits begin to climb down from their horses. Then the lead man says, "Those previous items are nice, but I'm sure they pale in comparison to those you carry on you."

Izabell places a hand on her chest as she replies, "You have already taken most of our valuables! Just let us keep what few items that we have left!"

"Are these items precious enough for you to sacrifice your lives!" says the bandit harshly.

"Are all of you willing to sacrifice yours in the attempt to get them!" exclaims Anton. "For I surely will dispatch some of you before any of you will lay a hand on a single piece!"

"You're not dealing with ordinary thieves here, sire," hisses the lead bandit. "When we heard about your trip from Weselton, we knew that you would be ripe for the picking. A prince and his wife, coming to see the Ice Witch of Arendelle, would definitely be an easy of a target. We knew that only a fool would make such a journey this time of year, and fools are always easy pickings."

Now the bandits begin to move in on Anton and Izabell, brandishing their weapons. Anton tries to hold them back by brandishing his own sword. However, the bandits move in closer as they quietly laugh with sinister glee. However, their enjoyment is about to come to an end.

As the bandits close in on Anton and Izabell, a noise can be heard. It is the sound of hooves running at a fast pace. It was Sven, pulling Kristoff on a sled. Sven was running straight at the bandits at full speed. So it only took seconds for Sven to get into their midst.

However, just before Sven reached them, one of the bandits cried out, "Look out!" After this cry, all the bandits begin to franticly get out of the way. Even the bandits' horses are scattered as Sven and Kristoff make their way through their midst. With a sharp turn; Kristoff's sled makes a broad sweep, clearing the area around him of bandits. Then Kristoff brings the sled to a halt in front of Anton and Izabell.

"Get on!" exclaims Kristoff as he makes a motion to urge the two to climb aboard.

Anton hesitates for a brief second, but Izabell rushes immediately for the sled. "Thank you!" exclaims Izabell as she climbs onto the sled.

"Thank me later!" replies Kristoff. "You're not out of danger yet!"

As for Anton, as he tries to climb onto the sled, a bandit jumps onto his back. "Anton!" exclaims Izabell as she takes a sack that she is carrying and swings it at the bandit. This action causes the bandit to stumble backwards releasing Anton. This allows Anton the chance to turn around to face his enemy. Now Anton is able to subdue his attacker, and then he quickly gets aboard the sled.

However, this delay allows other bandits to near the sled. In one instance, Kristoff has to use his ice axe to block the attack. Then Kristoff kicks the bandit back off the sled. In another instance, it is Sven who is able to stop a bandit by hooking the man with his antlers. Then Sven is able to throw the man into another bandit.

"Sven, go!" shouts Kristoff as his ice axe blocks the attack of another bandit.

After receiving this command, Sven takes off. The sled, he is pulling, jerks forward and throws its riders into their seats. However, this sudden movement also leaves the bandits behind. Yet, they were not left behind for long. While initially the bandits horses were driven off, some of those men had bothered to round up a few of the horses. Now a few of those bandits are chasing after Kristoff's sled.

"They're gaining on us!" exclaims Anton as he looks over at Kristoff.

Kristoff looks back with a worried look on his face. "These guys are determined, but I don't think these guys know this countryside like I do," replies Kristoff. "We just need to get to the pass before they are on us!"

Afterwards, Kristoff turns back to Sven and urges him on. So the sled continues to move down the valley at a fast pace. Meanwhile, the bandits continue to close in on the sled. However, Sven had a good lead on the bandits; and the slope of the valley was on his side. So it only took a few minutes for Sven to make it to the opening of the pass.

Just before the sled makes it to the pass, Kristoff hands the reins over to Anton. "Here, hold this for a moment!" exclaims Kristoff. Then Kristoff takes out his ice axe. Now with his axe in hand, Kristoff leans out the side of the moving sled and touches the snow covered wall of the pass. As his axe slides along the surface of the snow, the snow begins to crystalize into ragged chunks of ice all the way up to the top of the pass. This was because Kristoff's ice axe was enchanted by Elsa.

As the wall of the pass was covered with this rough ice, the ice begins to collapse; and it fills the bottom of the pass. The bandits, that were chasing Kristoff and the others, have to stop their pursuit. As for Anton and Izabell, they both stare back at the ice that fills the pass in astonishment. Then they both look at Kristoff with disbelief and fear.

As Kristoff repositions himself back in the sled, he notices the looks on Anton's and Izabell's faces. Then with a sheepish response, he says, "It was a gift from the Queen of Arendelle. It works best as a defensive weapon against fire. Still, it can come in handy in certain situations."

"You…you know the Queen of Arendelle?" stammers Anton with a little bit of fear.

"Sure I do," exclaims Kristoff as he takes the reins back from Anton. "Thanks to my association with Queen Elsa, my ice business has really picked up. I'm now considered the go to guy for all the best quality ice in the kingdom."

"But… the queen's magic!" exclaims Anton.

"Anton, please!" interrupts Izabell as she reaches forward and grabs onto Anton's shoulder. The Izabell turns to address Kristoff. "I'm sorry about my husband's outburst, but we understood that the queen had some frightful magic. We heard that she placed the entire kingdom of Arendelle into a perpetual winter."

"Oh, you've heard about that," replies Kristoff as he tries to play down that incident. "It was no big deal. Queen Elsa just had a difficult time back then. The whole winter thing was an accident. Yet Elsa managed to reverse the effects of her magic in the end. So the winter ended as well. Now she rules the Kingdom of Arendelle with the full support of its people."

"Are you serious?" asks a shocked Anton. "With that kind of magic, she could be a serious danger to others! People should be afraid of her! The Duke of Weselton said…."

However, before Anton is able to continue, Kristian interrupts, "You know the Duke of Weasel Town? Well, forget everything that you heard from him about the queen and of Arendelle. It was his fault in the first place for many of the problems that Queen Elsa had. Despite his interference, the queen has done everything she can to do right by Arendelle and its people."

Anton is speechless. His mind has trouble comprehending the notion of a being with such abilities living peacefully in such a situation. However, while Izabell is surprised, there is a slight joy in her spirits from hearing this news. "You don't know what a relief it is to hear of the queen's compassion for her people," says Izabell. "We have come a long way to seek an audience with the queen, and the stories we have heard about her magic have left us a little apprehensive."

"You won't have anything to worry about, with the queen," replies Kristoff. "Queen Elsa is a close friend of mine, and she is one of the most caring and gentle persons that I know. I'm sure that she will make time to see you."

"I do hope the queen is able to see us," says Izabell. "We have been on a long journey, and I hope the Queen of Arendelle may be able to help us."

"If she can, I'm sure that Queen Elsa will help," replies Kristoff.

"After the day we had, we could use a little good news," says Izabell.

"So what sort of help are you looking for, from the queen?" then asks Kristoff.

"We are looking for someone," replies Izabell. "A couple of months ago, we heard rumors of…"

"It really is something we should be discussing with the queen," interrupts Anton as he is able to snap out of his stunned state.

"Anton?" asks Izabell with some confusion.

"It's something that we shouldn't be discussing with any ordinary commoner," says Anton as he addresses Izabell. Then turning to Kristoff, he says, "No offense to you, sir; but it is a subject that needs to be kept private."

"Hey, it's your business," replies Kristoff. "But, you're going to find out that I am no ordinary guy."

"I must apologies for my husband's remarks," interjects Izabell. "He is just being a little over protective."

"Don't worry yourself about it," replies Kristoff. "You don't have to tell me about being over protective. Nearly every friend that I have is trying to protect something."

"Still, I feel like I need to make amends," says Izabell. "After all, you did save us from those marauding bandits. At the very least, we should be offering you our gratitude. So let me offer my deepest thanks for rescuing us, um…., sir. I just realize that we don't know your name."

"The name is Kristoff. I'm an ice harvester by trade. I'm also a close and personal friend to the royal family of Arendelle, which does have its perks," replies Kristoff. "What about you two?"

"Well, my name is Izabell; and this is my husband Anton," politely states Izabell. "We have traveled a long way from the Kingdom of Hesperis. There, Anton's father is the king."

"It figures, you're royalty," comments Kristoff. "Only someone of noble blood or someone in a desperate state would dare travel during the winter months."

"Are you insulting us," replies Anton in a slightly tense tone.

"No, I'm just stating what I know from my own experience," says Kristoff. "I've seen both good and bad from those of royal blood. However, no one deserves to be set on by bandits. You two just happen to be lucky that I was in the area."

"Again I thank you, Kristoff, for your timely assistance in our rescue," replies Izabell.

"You're welcome," responds Kristoff. "And don't worry. I'll take you straight to the palace. Once there, I know that Queen Elsa will help you in any way that she can."

So with this said, Kristoff allows Sven to haul all of them back to the village of Arendelle.


	6. Chapter 6

It takes nearly the rest of the day for Sven and Kristoff to bring the two strangers to the palace. The sun is starting to set and only a few hours of daylight are left in the day. Eventually, Sven comes to a stop near the front doors to the palace.

"Well, we're here, the royal palace of Arendelle," says Kristoff as the sled comes to a stop. Then Kristoff climbs down off of the sled. Anton climbs down as well, but he also turns back towards the sled to help Izabell off the sled. Once Izabell was on the ground, Kristoff says, "Come on, I'll introduce you to the queen."

"Thank you," replies Izabell. "Your help is greatly appreciated."

"Hey, I was glad to help," says Kristoff just before he heads off towards the front doors.

Meanwhile, Anton is busy retrieve their pack from the sled. As he does, Izabell waits for Anton to walk with her into the palace. However as Anton nears Izabell, he quietly says, "Izabell, hold up for a second."

"What is it, Anton?" asks Izabell.

"I don't think it would be wise if we shared everything we know with the Queen of Arendelle, right now," replies Anton.

"What, but why not?" asks Izabell quietly. "If we share more information, the queen may be able to help us even more."

"Think about it, Izabell," replies Anton quietly. "The queen has magical control over anything dealing with the cold. That means she would see the person that we are seeking as a direct threat to her. This means she could possibly see us as a threat."

"You think that is possible?" inquires Izabell. "From what I've been hearing about the queen, she doesn't seem to have a hostile nature. The Duke of Weselton has survived encounters with her. Also this ice merchant had just told us of how this queen rules Arendelle."

"I'm a little leery about trusting someone who is a friend of this queen," replies Anton. "Besides, anyone who deals with selling ice is going to be biased towards someone with her kind of power. As for the Duke, he might just have gotten lucky. The Duke did say that he had limited contact with the queen."

Just then, Anton and Izabell hear Kristoff call out to them from the palace entrance. "Hey, are you two coming?" yells out Kristoff.

"Ya, sure, we're coming!" calls back Anton. Then as he and Izabell begin to walk towards the palace, Anton says to Izabell, "We have to be careful about what we say around these people. So we first need to assess the real situation here before we reveal too much. So perhaps it would be best if you let me do most of the talking."

Once they were all inside the palace, Kristoff asks about where Elsa is located. With Elsa's location now known, Kristoff leads Anton and Izabell to her. In a short while, Kristoff enters a room where Elsa is located. Besides Elsa, there is also Anna in the room.

"Kristoff, I see your back!" exclaims Anna as she gets up and quickly heads over to Kristoff. "You were gone longer than normal. Did you have a little trouble on the journey?"

"I didn't, but I did come across two others that did," replies Kristoff.

Now Anna notices Izabell and Anton standing just inside the doorway. Elsa notices them as well, and she gets up and begins to walk towards them.

"Oh, hello," says Anna as she address Anton and Izabell.

In response, Anton bows and Izabell curtsies. "Greetings your majesty. I am Prince Anton from the Kingdom of Hesperis, and this is my wife Princess Izabell," replies Anton.

"Majesty?!" exclaims Anna. "I'm afraid you have made a mistake."

"You are not the queen?" asks Anton as he is surprised by his mistake. "But I thought Kristoff was taking us to see the queen."

Just then Elsa walks up alongside of her sister. Also Elsa covers up a giggle with her hand as she approaches. "You're not too far off the mark," says Elsa with a smile. "Anna is related to the queen."

In response, Anna quickly looks over at Elsa with a little surprise. However, Anna quickly realizes that Elsa was trying to be humorous. So Anna just smiles. Then Anna wrinkles up her nose and gives her head a little shake. Then Anna turns towards Anton and Izabell, and she says, "Let me introduce you to my sister, Elsa. I believe she is the one you wanted to direct your greetings towards."

"My…, my apologies your majesty," stammers a worried Anton. "I did not mean to disrespect you."

"You can calm yourself, Anton. No disrespect was taken," replies Elsa. "As I understand from Kristoff, you ran into a bit of trouble out in the countryside."

"Yes, we did your majesty," responds Izabell politely. "We were unfortunately set on by bandits. However, your servant Kristoff showed up and rescued us before any real harm was done to either of us."

"Bandits, in Arendelle!" exclaims Elsa. "They rarely dare to venture this close to the village! The Elite Guard makes sure of that. They patrol the nearby countryside."

"We were not all that close to the village when we were attacked," replies Anton. "We actually were set on by the bandits on the far side of the mountains. Fortunately, we had a set of good horses. They were able to keep us ahead of bandits for a little while. However, our sled eventually overturned; and so we were overtaken by the bandits."

"Yes, and that was when your servant Kristoff came to our aid," adds Izabell.

"I'm not sure I understand," replies a puzzled Elsa. "If those thieves first attacked you on the far side of the mountains, how did Kristoff manage to get to you so quickly?

"I have no idea, your majesty," replies Anton. "All I do know is that we managed to get to a valley just west of the mountains when Kristoff showed up."

"Um, ya," awkwardly adds Kristoff. "I, ah…, noticed them at the bottom of the Western Valley. I saw that they were in trouble and so I acted."

"The Western Valley?" questions Elsa. "The Western Valley is nowhere near the route to Goran's tomb. Why would you have been over there? Unless…, you were up at the ice palace, weren't you?"

"Well…, um…, ya…, you see…," stammers Kristoff. Right now, Kristoff is feeling guilty about going to the ice palace without asking Elsa first.

After witnessing this flustered behavior from Kristoff, Elsa and Anna begin to laugh. Initially, Kristoff is surprised by their reaction. Then his surprise is replaced by embarrassment.

"It's all right, Kristoff," laughs Elsa. "I don't mind if you visit the palace, but what would you be doing up there?"

"Well…, ah…," replies Kristoff as he begins to rub the back of his neck. Right now, Kristoff is beginning to feel awkward about explaining himself to Elsa.

"Oh, I think I might know why he was up there," interjects Anna as she walks up and places an arm around Kristoff's waist. "Elsa, you know how Kristoff loves ice; and the ice you make is exquisite. So what better place is there for him to be the ruler of his own world."

Kristoff begins to blush as Anna has figured out what he was doing up at the Ice Palace. "King Kristoff," comments Elsa. "I suppose in a way that does have a nice ring to it." Then after a brief moment, Elsa begins to laugh, and then Anna joins in the laughter.

"Aw, come on!" exclaims an embarrassed Kristoff. "You don't have to rub it in."

"Yes, you're right," replies Elsa as she suppresses her laughter. "Still you have to admit that it is a silly notion."

"It's not that silly," comments Kristoff quietly.

"Of course, it's not silly," adds Anna with a big smile. "I think it has a splendid ring to it. There might even be a chance you will have to get use to calling yourself king."

"Anna, you can't be trying to put me into my grave already," interjects Elsa with a silly smirk on her face.

Anna giggles a bit before replying, "I would never try to do that. My hope is to have you around for a very long time."

While everyone was playfully bantering back and forth with each other, Anton stands there in stunned silence. For him, this was not making any sense. How could someone this dangerous be so at ease with others? Then of course, how could the people of Arendelle accept this person as their ruler?

However, Izabell's reaction is different to her husband's. For Izabell, Elsa's interaction was a delight. This playful attitude was proof to Izabell of Elsa's good nature. This also gave her hope. This is because Izabell is looking for someone, and if Elsa was like this then maybe the person she is looking for could possibly be the same way. However, at the moment, another question crosses Izabell's mind. So she asks, "I'm sorry to intrude, your majesty; but I am a bit confused."

"There is no need to apologize Izabell," replies Elsa. "It is I who should be apologizing to you. You're in need of assistance, and I am neglecting to see to your needs."

"You do not need to apologies. For you have already warmly allowed us into your home," says Izabell. "I just have a question."

"Of course, what is it that you want to know?" replies Elsa.

"Just now, Anna hinted at Kristoff possibly becoming king. How is that possible?" inquires Izabell. "Are you and Kristoff an item?"

"What?!" exclaims Elsa as she is surprised by the question. "No, Kristoff and I are just friends. Besides, I already have a suitor."

"That's right. Elsa and I are just good friends," adds Kristoff a little flustered by Izabell's question. "Not to mention, that I am already engaged to be marry to someone else."

"Forgive me. I didn't mean to upset all of you," apologies Izabell.

However, while Elsa and Kristoff are still trying to get over their shock, Anna begins to laugh. Then she says, "There is nothing for you to feel guilty about. They both need to be shaken up a bit, every once in a while. That way they won't get too complacent. However, to answer your question, Kristoff is my fiancé. So once we are married, Kristoff and I will be next in line to the throne."

"Excuse me, but I thought Kristoff was just an ordinary laborer," interjects Anton as he tries to comprehend everything that he has been witnessing.

Yes, Kristoff occupation is that of a common ice peddler and harvester; but he is far from ordinary," replies Elsa. "Kristoff is also a member of the Royal Court of Arendelle."

"Yes, and his official title is The Arendelle Ice Master and Deliverer," adds Anna with a grin. "So it is very appropriate for you to call him Sir Kristoff."

"Just call me Kristoff," adds Kristoff. "I'm not into being called by my title."

"So we have been rescued by a nobleman of Arendelle," says Izabell with a smile. "Anton and I have been very fortunate to make it here to seek an audience with your majesty. On top of that, the first person that we meet is going to be a future prince of this kingdom."

"You have come to Arendelle to speak with me?" asks a puzzled Elsa. "To travel during the winter is not an easy task. So whatever you wanted to speak to me about must be rather important."

"It is of great importance to me, your majesty," replies Izabell. "I've come to seek answers that I hope that you may be able to provide."

"Answers to what?" asks Elsa.

Izabell is about to respond when Anton speaks up. "Perhaps it would be best if you could rest before we begin, Izabell," says Anton. "It has been a difficult and stressful journey. I know you must be tired after what we have gone through."

"But Anton, I may be a little tired but not that tired," replies Izabell. "Surely asking a few questions will not be that hard of a task."

"Izabell, you may not be ready to coup with the answers," responds Anton. "Besides, it would not hurt to have time to assess everything that has happened to us or may happen to us."

Izabell was about to object slightly to Anton's suggestion, but then she looks at his face. What Izabell sees is Anton giving her a knowing but stern look. He is also nodding his head slightly. Then after a slight hesitation, Izabell sighs. Then she says, "All right, Anton. I'll trust in your judgment, for now. However, I do expect to pursue this conversation in the morning."

"I know, and we will. I promise," replies Anton.

Then Izabell turns towards Elsa and says, "I must offer my apologies, your majesty. I would like to continue our conversation, but apparently I may not be ready to receive the results of our talk."

"I completely understand," replies Elsa. "Our talk can wait until tomorrow. However, allow me to provide the two of you a room for as long as you stay here in Arendelle." Then Elsa turns towards Kristoff and says, "Kristoff, could you notify one of the palace staff to make the arrangements for sleeping quarters for Anton and Izabell?"

"Sure thing," replies Kristoff. "I'll do on my way out. I haven't had the chance to put things away for the night yet. So if it is alright with you, I'm also going to call it a night."

"I have no problem with that, but I am not so sure how Anna will feel about it," replies Elsa with a smile.

So everyone looks over to Anna. Then with a little humor, Anna says, "What? It's OK with me. I'm not exactly happy about Kristoff leaving early, but I do understand. You have had a busy day today."

"Hey, that is the price you pay when you're engaged to a working man," replies Kristoff with a smile. "Still, I will make it up to you tomorrow. You will be the only business that I will have in mind tomorrow."

"I certainly would hope so," says Anna as she goes and gives Kristoff a kiss. "See ya tomorrow."

"See ya," replies Kristoff as he walks out of the room.

Once Kristoff leaves, Elsa turns back towards Izabell and Anton. Then she asks, "Is there anything else that I may be able to do for you before you turn in?"

"Your hospitality and the accommodations will be enough for this evening," replies Anton. "Anything else that we may need can wait until tomorrow."

"Of course, after a nights rest, we can explore things from a fresh perspective," adds Elsa.

I, myself, am looking forward to conversing with you tomorrow," interjects Izabell. "We have taken quite a detour in order to talk with you."

"And we shall talk," replies Elsa. "I will make a point to be available to you. Besides, you have intrigued me with the efforts that you have gone through already. It is quite uncommon for travelers to journey any distance during the winter months."

We had not planned to travel so late in the year," offers Anton. "However, we felt that this trip was worth the extra effort."

Just then, a servant comes walking into the room; and she clears her throat to announce her presence. "Excuse me your majesties," says the servant. "A room is ready for your royal guests."

"Thank you," replies Elsa. Then she turns towards Anton and Izabell. "This servant shall lead you to your accommodations."

"Thank you again, your majesty," replies Izabell as she curtsies. "You have been most gracious. I shall see you tomorrow then."

"Until tomorrow, then," responds Elsa as she gives her head a nod to recognize Izabell and Anton's departure.


	7. Chapter 7

Just a moment ago, Izabell and Anton have had their first brief meeting with Queen Elsa and her sister Anna. Now they are departing from the Arendelle royalty's presence to head to a room provided them by Elsa. As they near the door, the servant there asks, "May I carry your bag, sir?"

With a nod Anton hands the bag over to the servant. Then he turns towards Izabell. "Go on ahead without me. I want to have a brief word with Queen Elsa," says Anton.

So Izabell looks over to Anton with a puzzled look. "I'm going to lay the foundation for our talk with the queen tomorrow. You know. We have to be careful around here," says Anton.

"But Anton," begins to object Izabell. However, Anton gives Izabell a serious look. He does this because Anton wants his wife to let him handle things. So after a brief moment of hesitation, Izabell sighs and says, "Alright Anton, I'll let you handle things. However, I believe you are making a bigger deal of Elsa's magic than you should."

"We're dealing with an unknown here," replies Anton. "Don't forget, it was the unknown that lost you the ones you loved. I don't want this unknown to do the same to either of us." Right now, Anton fears what Elsa might do. So Anton has decided that the best thing he can do is to try and position himself in such a way to look more like he would be on Elsa's side. He doesn't want Elsa to think that he might be on the side of the person that Izabell and he are searching for.

After hearing this, Izabell gives her head a slight nod in recognition of Anton's advice. Then Anton gives Izabell a kiss before she follows the servant down the hall. Once Izabell has departed, Anton returns to the room where Anna and Elsa are still in.

Now both sisters notice Anton's return. So puzzled by his return, Elsa asks, "Is there something wrong, Anton?"

"Everything is fine, your majesty," replies Anton. I just wanted to have a brief word with you while Izabell is not here."

"You're keeping secrets from Izabell?" inquires Anna. "You don't trust your wife enough to hear what you might say, when you talk with Elsa?"

"We share many things together, princess," replies Anton to Anna. "Izabell even knows what I am going to be talking about. However, the matter that I am going to be discussing concerns her on a very personal level. I do not want her to be distressed by whatever is said tonight."

"This has something to do with your journey here to Arendelle, doesn't it?" inquires Elsa.

"Yes, your majesty," replies Anton. "The reason that we have come to Arendelle concerns the family of my wife. You see, Izabell wants to find out what has happened to them."

"What could we possibly tell you about Izabell's family?" asks Anna. "They weren't even from around here. Were they?"

"Perhaps I should explain a little," replies Anton. "The first thing you have to understand is that Izabell's family was torn apart by a demon.

"A demon!" exclaims Elsa.

"Are you serious? A real monster?" adds Anna.

"Yes, a demon that could have come from the underworld of hades," replies Anton. "It was a terrifying creature. That appeared suddenly in the home of Izabell's family. Yet this demon was quickly driven out of the building. Unfortunately, the creature took two members of Izabell's family with him. One of which was Izabell's mother."

"Oh, how terrible!" exclaims Anna after hearing this news.

"It was a tragic loss for Izabell," replies Anton. "However, it was not the first loss that Izabell would suffer because of the demon. After the creature left, the kingdom began to suffer from internal strife between the lords of the kingdom and the king. Things needed to be set back in order. It took a long time but eventually an acceptable agreement was reached. Then Izabell's father could devote his time to search for the missing members of their family. Unfortunately, the day that he left was the last time that Izabell saw her father; and she has heard nothing about him or her family since."

"Losing a family member in such a way is tragic," then says Elsa. "However, that does not explain why you would want to come and talk with me."

"We are here because of rumors that we heard back in Hesperis," replies Anton.

"Rumors, what rumors?" inquires Anna.

Rumors that someone in the Kingdom of Weselton had dealings with a monster," replies Anton. "It was a monster that sounded much like the one that ruined Izabell's family. So Izabell was determined to investigate this rumor. So to ease Izabell's mind, I agreed to journey with her to Weselton."

"Weselton, so how did a demon in Weselton cause you to end up in Arendelle?" asks Elsa.

"I'm sorry your majesty, but the demon was not in Weselton," replies Anton.

"But you just said that it was," responds Anna.

"I'm sorry princess, but I only said that the demon had dealings with someone in Weselton," says Anton trying to correct the sisters' thinking. "That is why we went to Weselton. We needed to find out the real truth about the rumor. After we consulted with the King of Weselton, we were led to an isolated outpost on the edge of that kingdom. It was a surprise for both of us to see that outpost. It was a simple small stone structure with a low wall surrounding it. It only had a small garrison of about ten men with it. Once we were inside, we were introduced to the man that had hired the terrible beast, the Duke of Weselton."

After hearing that the Duke of Weselton was involved, both sisters were momentarily surprised. Then Anna turns towards Elsa. "Elsa, I think he is referring to what happened earlier this year during the spring celebration," says Anna.

Before Anna can say anything else, Elsa raises a hand to signal Anna to stop talking. Because of the way that Anton has been describing this man, Elsa has become a bit uneasy about the safety of Kristian. Then Elsa says, "Yes, I believe you are right." Then after making sure that Anna quieted down, Elsa turns towards Anton. "This demon you keep referring to, it's a man isn't it; and he wielded fire."

"If you can call something that can destroy families and ruin the lives of people a man, then yes," replies Anton. "However, I would not call anyone that controls the fires of hell a man."

"That is an unfair stereotype!" exclaims Anna in a huff. "What gives you the right to assume that people with such unique abilities are monsters and not human? They all have their own problems and feelings! You can't just call all of them evil!" Now there is a simple reason for Anna's outburst. This is because Kristian has become a friend to her, and Anna is very protective of her friends.

However, Prince Anton is taken aback by this sudden outburst from Anna. He is not sure of what to make of it. However, Elsa understands what Anna was getting at. This outburst was because of Kristian and herself. Elsa knows that Anna has become very protective of her when it comes to her magic. It has been on more than one occasion that someone has tried to harm Elsa because of her magic. However, while Elsa understands Anna's outburst, she is displeased by this reaction.

"Anna, please! You are being a little too over protective," exclaims Elsa has she addresses her sister. Then turning back towards Anton, Elsa says, "You must forgive Anna. She can become very defensive about me."

"Your majesty?" asks a puzzled and uneasy Anton over Elsa's comments.

"You see, when you put all people together with magic into a nonhuman group, in Anna's mind you placed me in that group as well," replies Elsa.

"My apologies your majesty," says Anton as he becomes nervous about inadvertently offending Queen Elsa. "I did not intend to offend you or your sister. I merely was talking about those people with the power over fire. Surely you must realize the danger that such beings could be, especially against someone with your unique skills."

"No offense was taken, and I am perfectly aware of the dangers that people with special abilities may present," replies Elsa. "On more than one occasion, I've experienced the dangers of such abilities. Still I try not to prejudge people."

"But Elsa," exclaims Anna as she interrupts the conversation.

However, Elsa quickly turns towards her sister and addresses her. "I do know what concerns you Anna, but Anton is a guest. So it wouldn't hurt to listen to what he has to say. After all, we are the royal family of Arendelle; and we must maintain a degree of prudence."

For a moment, Anna looks at her sister in protest. However, after mulling Elsa's words through her mind, Anna nods her head in acceptance. The she says, "Yes, you're right." Then Anna steps forward to address Anton. "I'm sorry about my previous outburst. It was only because I took your comments as a slight against Elsa. I'm just very fond of my sister, and she has gone through a lot already."

"It was not my intention to inadvertently insult the queen," replies Anton. "And I certainly did not intend to give you the impression that I was putting Queen Elsa down. All that I was hoping to accomplish was to obtain the queen's help."

"And it is my intention to provide you any help that I can," adds Elsa. "However, in order for me to do that, I need to know the kind of help that you and Izabell require."

"Of course, your majesty," replies Anton. "I should continue with the story of our journey here to see you. Now, where was I last?"

"You had just met the Duke of Weselton," Anna says. "You said he was in charge of an outpost?"

"Yes, an outpost in the middle of nowhere," says Anton. "The only thing it was guarding was a backwoods trail that hunters and woodsmen would use."

"Sounds like the King of Weselton had decided to reprimand the Duke," adds Anna amusingly.

"Yes, from what I understand, the Duke was moved out to the outpost for several poor decisions," says Anton. "Many of those decisions apparently involved the Kingdom of Arendelle and its representatives."

"It is good to hear that the King of Weselton has taken measures to correct the actions of the Duke," adds Elsa. "Perhaps now he won't be so quick to complicate people's lives."

"I really couldn't say if his attitude has changed for the better," replies Anton. "However, that outpost would limit the number of people that he would come in contact with."

"At least that is something," says Anna. Then cautiously she says, "So were you able to find out anything about the person that you were looking for?"

"Yes, we did, but what the Duke said was rather confusing," replies Anton. "As we got onto the topic, the Duke became very agitated. He claimed that the King of Weselton sent him on an impossible mission to Arendelle. A mission he knew he could not accomplish. So he came up with the only idea he could that might have some success."

"I'm very aware of what that idea was," replies Elsa with a hint of displeasure. "However, that attempt on my life failed."

"Yes, well…," says Anton with some unease. The last thing he wants to do is to upset the Snow Queen. While Elsa has been very pleasant to Izabell and him, she still possessed a power that worries Anton. "The Duke said he found a man whom he thought could accomplish the task, but he did not know what the man was. It was at this point that the Duke started to become irrational. The Duke claimed that the man he hired was a monster, a monster that can wield the very essences of hell."

"Sounds like the Duke sort of lost it," comments Anna.

"On that topic, he did lose it," replies Anton. "As the Duke talked about that monster, he told of how it set the harbor itself on fire as it battled you your majesty. Then what the Duke said hardly seemed to make any sense. He said that the fire demon defeated you. Then that one demon became two. The way the Duke talked about it, you would have thought that the man split in two. Seriously, how would that even be possible?"

"I… wouldn't have the slightest idea," responds Elsa feeling a little uneasy about telling Anton the truth about the encounter.

"The Duke was probably embellishing the incident," adds Anna. She too wants to avoid giving Anton the real story as well. "Having failed at his task, the Duke just wanted to give himself a reason for his failure. He just couldn't accept the fact that his plans were defeated by those of us here in Arendelle."

"Perhaps, but he sounded more like he lost his mind," replies Anton. "Mainly because of what the Duke said happened next. After splitting in two, the fire demon began to terrorize the village by setting it on fire. Then the creature turned its attention onto the palace. As it did, the fire demon turned on itself. The two halves of the demon began to fight each other. The Duke said that it was a battle of fire versus fire. Then somehow, one of the parts of the fire demon turned into a demon of cold and heat, which would be completely impossible. I mean, wouldn't the heat cancel out the cold? Anyway, after the fight was over, Queen Elsa was left standing with what remained of the fire demon."

"That was quite a story," says Elsa after Anton finishes.

"That was what I thought too. When I heard it," replies Anton. "Not only does it seem incredible but how could you be left standing after a battle of fire versus fire? You weren't even involved in that fight."

"Actually, I was involved in the fight," states Elsa. "I mean, how else could the magic over the cold defeat the magic over fire?"

"So parts of the story that the Duke told is true," says Anton. "I thought that the likelihood of it being true was very remote."

"Well…, I wouldn't say that the things he told you are exactly correct," replies Anna. "But it is close enough to give you the basic idea of what happened."

"Yes, in general, the Duke's telling of the event is fair," adds Elsa. "So then, after hearing the Duke of Weselton's story, you and Izabell decided to come to Arendelle. You're here to find out what has happen to this um… fire demon. However, why did you decide to come to Arendelle at this time of year? To journey any long distance during the winter months is a risky undertaking."

It was Izabell's decision to come here, your majesty," replies Anton. "After leaving the Duke of Weselton's isolated outpost, I suggested that we return to Hesperis until spring. However, Izabell knew that the Kingdom of Weselton is close to the Kingdom of Arendelle. She did not want to go back to Hesperis when we were so close to finding out the truth. So I relented and agreed to travel with her to Arendelle. Because of the time of year, the fiords were becoming too dangerous for large ships to travel on. So we decided to travel over land. Granted, the trip took several weeks to complete. However, Izabell was determined to take the risk; and I was not willing to deny her this opportunity."

I still don't understand why you are here," says a slightly perplexed Elsa. "Even with the Duke's story, you should have realized what had happened to this um… individual. I don't know what else I would be able to tell you."

"What Izabell wants to find out is if this is the monster that destroyed her family," replies Anton. "Surely there must be some remnant of the creature left, or perhaps some personal items of the demon might be lying around still. If so, we would like to examine anything we can. Perhaps Izabell can find a clue in whatever remains of the demon."

"Yes, there are some things still around; but I don't know if you will find what you are looking for in those items," responds Elsa. "Still if you are set on examining those items, I can make arrangements for you to view them."

"Thank you, your majesty," says Anton as he gives a slight bow to Elsa. "We both will be very grateful for your assistance."

"You're welcome, but perhaps you should save the gratitude for afterwards," replies Elsa. "Since you and Izabell might not find the answers that you seek."

"Still I thank you for your kind assistance," adds Anton. "Now with your permission, if you don't mind, I shall turn in for the night."

"Of course you may turn in, and ask any of the palace staff for help if you need any sort of assistance during your stay," replies Elsa.

After hearing this from Elsa, Anton bows and begins to turn away. However, before he gets turned half way, Anton says, "Oh, and one more thing, your majesty. If you could, could you please be careful about how you talk about the topic. For Izabell, it concerns her family and I would like to avoid upsetting her if possible."

"I shall be careful on how I address it," replies Elsa. You see, Elsa also has her own reasons for being careful about addressing the topic. "I know that this topic needs to be handled carefully."

So with this final verbal exchange, Anton nods his head in response and proceeds out of the room. As he leaves, Anna turns towards her sister and says, "He seems to be a little uneasy about finding out about Goran. It's like he has a great distain for those individuals with the magic over fire."

"I noticed that too," replies Elsa. "However, I doubt Anton likes the idea of me having magic either. He was very uneasy during our conversation."

"I noticed that too, but I don't think Izabell feels the same way." adds Anna. "She was almost delighted by the fact that you rule Arendelle. She was especially happy to find out about the kingdom's people and how they have come to gladly accept you as queen."

"Yes, I like Izabell as well," replies Elsa with a smile. "She is willing to accept me for who I am. Few newcomers to Arendelle are as accepting of me as Izabell was."

"I know. It usually takes a few days for visitors to the kingdom to warm up to the idea of you as queen," adds Anna. "Speaking of warming up to ideas, do you think we should tell Izabell and Anton about Kristian?"

"No, I don't think we should," replies Elsa. "We both know that Anton will react very negatively towards Kristian if he finds out. The way that he talked about those people with magic over fire makes me worry. As for Izabell, she lost her family to a man wielding fire. She might take Kristian's magic a little more graciously, but I don't want to stress Izabell any more than we have too. I think that dealing with the information about Goran will be enough for her to handle."


	8. Chapter 8

While Elsa and Anna have been talking with Anton, Izabell is being led to a room for her and Anton to spend the night. As she is led through the palace, Izabell bothers to look at her surroundings. She passes many paintings and other fine items. After visiting with Elsa and Anna, Izabell has become very pleased with what she has found here in Arendelle. Not only is the Duke of Weselton's description of the queen wrong but the people here also seemed to love Elsa as their queen.

However, while Izabell admires what she finds in the palace, she fails to notice a whitish figure during her passage through the halls. It is Olaf, an odd little snowman that Elsa had created. While Izabell didn't notice him, Olaf definitely notices Izabell.

Anyway, after following the servant for a little while, Izabell is finally brought to her room. The servant is the first to enter the room. As she does, the servant says, "Here we are Miss. I hope this room is to your liking. If it is not, we can always find you another room."

After a brief look around, Izabell says, "It is a very beautiful room. I think it will be just fine. Thank you for your hospitality."

"It is my pleasure Miss," replies the servant as she goes over to the bed and places Anton and Izabell's sack onto the bed. "It has been a real joy to once again to see the palace busy with life again."

"Oh?" questions Izabell. "Were things not so friendly here in the palace?"

Oh, things were pleasant enough at the palace before the queen's coronation," replies the servant. "However before that, Elsa's father had shut the palace off to everyone when both princesses were quite young. So during that time the palace sort of went into a state of dormancy."

"Really, why would the former king close the palace to the people?" asks Izabell.

"He did it to protect his daughter," replies the servant. "Unknown to everyone at that time, Elsa had the magic power over the snow and the cold. However the young princess could not control it very well. So for the safety of everyone, her powers were kept a secret. Who knows what someone might have done if they found out about the princess's power."

"I never thought about the difficulty the queen might have had growing up with such power," comments Izabell. "Still, Elsa managed to become ruler of Arendelle even in spite of her magic; and she can control her magic now as well."

Yes, things have worked out for her majesty and for Arendelle," replies the servant. "As for controlling her magic, Queen Elsa has become quite superb. However, there are still occasional control issues."

"Control issues? What sort of control issues?" asks Izabell.

"Oh, certain emotional situations can cause the queen to accidentally set off her magic," replies the servant. "The stronger the emotion is, the more likely it is her magic could accidentally go off."

"And the people of Arendelle accept this danger?" asks a surprised Izabell. "They are not afraid of her?"

"There is very little danger from the queen," replies the servant. "Actually, those little outbursts of magic are quite useful. They allow people to know when the queen is bothered by something. They have become sort of a mood detector. Besides, I have never seen the queen totally lose control of her magic since the day of her coronation."

"That is a bit of a relief," says Izabell. "Thank you for telling me."

"You are welcome, miss," replies the servant. "Now is there anything else that I may do for you before I leave?"

"No, thank you. I just need to settle in before I go to sleep," says Izabell.

"Then I shall leave to let you have your privacy; and if you need any assistance, don't hesitate to notify a member of the palace staff. We are all here to provide to the needs of those staying here at the palace," says the servant. So with this last statement, the servant departs and leaves Izabell to unpack and settle down in the room.

Meanwhile in another part of the palace, Kristian happens to be walking through one of the halls on the upper floors. Suddenly, he hears a woman's scream coming from another part of the palace. Kristian is also not the only one that hears this scream. However, he is the closes one to where the scream came from.

So Kristian quickly responds to this cry of distress. As Kristian runs through the halls, small flames ignite on his hands. It only takes him a few seconds to approach the room that the screams are coming from. However, when Kristian turns into the room, he just stops and stares for a moment. Then a slight smile comes over his face as Kristian begins to shake his head slightly. As he does, the flames go out on Kristian's hands.

What Kristian sees, is a unknown woman standing in the middle of a bed screaming her head off. This woman just happens to be Izabell. Then at the foot of the bed, Kristian sees Olaf. It was obvious to Kristian to what had happened. Olaf had decided to introduce himself to someone who didn't know that he existed.

After a moment of amusement, Kristian speaks up. "Olaf you really need to find a better way to introduce yourself to people."

Then after hearing Kristian's voice, both Izabell and Olaf look over at him. "Hi Kristian, all I said was hello," says Olaf. "What is wrong with saying hello as an introduction?"

There is nothing wrong with it, Olaf," replies Kristian with a smirk. "It's just when people first see you, it gives them the willies."

"I don't know why," says Olaf. "I always thought that snowmen were cute and adorable."

"I'll grant you that, but most people have never seen a living snowman before," replies Kristian amusingly.

Then after watching this friendly banter from standing on top of her bed, Izabell speaks up. "You know this…, this…."

"Snowman," adds Kristian. "Sure I know Olaf. In fact, anybody who has ever stayed in Arendelle for any length of time will eventually meet Olaf. He is just that type of friendly guy."

Being friendly to others is the best way to make friends," chirps Olaf.

Finally Izabell settles down and kneels down onto the bed. "My apologies, Olaf," says Izabell. "I regret my hysteria earlier. I hope you can forgive me for my poor behavior."

"What is there to forgive?" replies Olaf. "This has been a fairly typical first meeting for me."

Then all of a sudden, a breathless voice is heard coming from the doorway. "Hold fast there!" exclaims the voice.

In response, Kristian quickly turns around to see who it is that is speaking. Who Kristian sees is a stranger to him. However, Izabell knows who this person is. It is Anton. Anton is breathing heavily because he ran through the palace after hearing Izabell scream. Also Anton is brandishing his sword.

"Woah there!" exclaims Kristian as he tries to calm Anton down. "Take it easy. There is a misunderstanding here."

However, Anton is wary of Kristian. In fact, Anton has been wary of everyone that he has met here in Arendelle. So now Anton slowly approaches Kristian. At the same time, Anton does not put down his sword. "Who are you, and what did you try to do to Izabell?" demands Anton.

"I haven't tried to do anything to um Izabell," replies Kristian as he takes a few steps backwards from Anton.

"Anton, please!" exclaims Izabell as she gets down off the bed. Then she hurries over next to Kristian. "It was a mistake! I over reacted!"

"That's right!" adds Olaf with a chirp as he starts to walk towards Anton. "But it is all happily resolved now."

It was finally at this point that Anton sees Olaf in the room. However, Anton is totally startled by Olaf's presence. So he takes a step backwards out of shock. Then Anton's next move startles everyone. With a determined fear, Anton lunges forward with his sword towards the happy little snowman.

In response, Olaf yelps because he is startled by Anton's action. At the same time, Izabell cries out, "Anton!"

However, Anton was already in motion. So Anton could not stop himself, even if he wanted too. Thus the tip of Anton's sword pierces the body of Olaf and sinks up to the hilt.

"Anton, what have you done?!" exclaims Izabell out of panic.

However, now it was Anton's turn to be in a state of panic. This is because the next thing that happens shocks both Anton and Izabell. This is because Olaf straightens himself up and looks right into the eyes of Anton. Then Olaf says, "If you wanted me to clean your sword, I would have gladly done that for you if you would have only asked."

This reaction of Olaf's startles Anton so much that he lets go of his sword. Then he takes several steps backwards away from the smiling snowman. However, as Anton steps backwards, Kristian steps forwards with a smile on his face.

"I see that both of you are not use to the normal events that occur here in Arendelle on a daily basis," says Kristian as he reaches down and grabs onto the hilt of Anton's sword. Then Kristian pulls the sword smoothly out of Olaf's body. Then he turns around and says, "It's kind of hard to hurt a snowman with a sword. Besides, Olaf here is one of the nicest guys you will ever find."

"That's me alright," chirps Olaf as he comes walking up alongside of Kristian. "So why don't we try this again. "Hi, my name is Olaf; and I am the unofficial greeter to Arendelle."

"Hello, Olaf. My name is Izabell, and this is my husband Anton," says Izabell as she gestures over to Anton. However, Anton just stands there. He looks at Olaf in near total shock.

"Hello there," says Olaf as he addresses Anton with a slight wave.

Still Anton does nothing. However, Izabell is surprised by Anton's lack of expression. "Anton?" questions Izabell as she tries to get a reaction out of her husband. Still Anton just stands there. So Izabell tries again, in a little more of a demanding tone. "Anton!"

This finally snaps Anton out of his shock enough to react to Izabell. "Huh, what?" responds Anton as he addresses Izabell.

"Anton, Olaf has just greeted us," replies Izabell as she makes a gesture towards the snowman. "It is always polite to return such a greeting."

"Oh…, yah right," says Anton as he gets his mind reoriented around this concept. "Um…, hello," then says Anton as he addresses Olaf.

"It is my pleasure to welcome you both to our happy little place in the world," responds Olaf. "If you want to know some of my favorite places to see just let me know. I can easily show them to you."

"Thank you for the offer," replies Izabell. "Perhaps after we have our talk with Queen Elsa tomorrow, then we might be able to see some of the sights of Arendelle." Then Izabell turns towards Anton and asks, "Don't you think that would be alright, Anton?"

"Um…, yah sure," replies Anton. He is still trying to adjust to this new reality.

Now Kristian walks forward, and he holds out Anton's sword to Anton with both hands. "I can understand what you might be going through," says Kristian as he offers Anton's sword back to him. "You're use to the ordinary run of the mill things that life generally throws your way. Now you have come in contact with something out of the ordinary."

"I thought that I had prepared myself for the unexpected," replies Anton as he takes his sword back. "But I am still getting surprised by what I am finding here in Arendelle. This snowman, um… Olaf is not what I had planned on expecting."

"Well, here in Arendelle, Olaf is a common person you can see daily," says Kristian. "After you have been here awhile, you will find that there are a lot more extraordinary happenings in Arendelle besides Olaf."

"Yes, things have been quite a surprise since we have come here," replies Izabell. "So far, it has been a pleasant one. I'm certainly glad that the queen is as nice as she is. Both of us were concerned that she might be more of a tyrant."

"Well, you have no worries about that being true," responds Kristian. "Elsa's only concern is to do right by her subjects that rely on her to protect and provide for the Kingdom of Arendelle. I can testify to her good will by what she has done for me."

"Really, and what did she do for you?" inquires Izabell.

"Well, most importantly, she has allowed me to stay in Arendelle," replies Kristian.

"That doesn't seem to be all that significant," states Anton a little incredulous about Kristian's comment.

"It is significant if you consider that I was acting against Elsa when I first came to Arendelle," replies Kristian. "Yet in spite of that, Elsa was willing to forgive me for conspiring against her."

"That's just Elsa for yah!" chirps Olaf. "She is the kindest and nicest person you will ever meet. However, I would not say that allowing Kristian to stay in Arendelle is the most important thing that Elsa has done for him."

"I don't know, Olaf," replies Kristian. "I think it is probably the most important thing that Elsa has done for me."

"Oh, it was a great first step. Yet, I think the most important thing that Elsa has done for you is the close relationship that has developed between the two of you," suggests Olaf.

Kristian just smiles at Olaf after hearing the snowman's comment. Then Kristian says, "That's more of an emotion than an action, Olaf."

"I think falling in love is both an action and an emotion," chirps Olaf.

"Excuse me, but did you say falling in love?" inquires Izabell.

"Sure I did!" chirps Olaf. "Kristian and Elsa are an item now. Though they did have a number of rough patches they had to work through. Yet they still managed to build a fantastic relationship."

"You're the suitor that Elsa mentioned," exclaims Izabell.

"Yah, Elsa and I are basically dating," replies Kristian a little embarrassed. "However, it feels kind of funny to call myself a suitor. It's not like I actually was pursuing Elsa romantically. It's more like we are going on this journey together, and we are just enjoying our time together on this adventure."

"What about the queen's magic?" asks Anton in disbelief. "You don't seem to be anything like her. Aren't you afraid of being hurt by her power?"

"Lots of people think the same thing," replies Kristian to Anton. "I won't deny that Elsa and I may appear to be vastly different from one another. Yet, once you start to ignore the details of what makes us different, the similarities between us get even stronger. We've managed to use the strength of those similarities to build our relationship on. Besides, my unique ability allows me to coup with Elsa's special talent. So I don't have anything to fear from Elsa or her magic."

"An ability?" questions Izabell. "What sort of ability do you have that allows you to ignore such a risk?"

"Didn't Elsa tell you?" says a puzzled Kristian. "I mean, you obviously were talking about me. So it is something that should have come up in conversation. It is not like it is a secret or anything."

Just then a voice is heard coming from the door. "Is everything all right?" asks a slightly breathless voice. So in response; everyone, in the room, turns towards the door to see who it is.

Who they all see is Elsa standing in the doorway and right behind her is standing Anna. You see, Elsa too had responded to Izabell's scream. However, Elsa did not know what the problem was. Yet, now what Elsa sees concerns her greatly. This is because Kristian is standing with Anton and Izabell. Earlier that evening, Elsa had decided to try and keep Kristian's magic a secret from Anton and Izabell. However, they are now standing together without Elsa having even told Kristian about her concerns.

"Everything is fine, Elsa," replies Kristian. "Olaf was just saying hello to Izabell, and you know what happens when he says hello."

"You have to say hello if you want to become friends with someone," chirps Olaf. "I've only just taken my first steps to become friends with Izabell."

"I see," replies Elsa as she is somewhat relieved. However, her eyes dart back and forth between Kristian, and Aton and Izabell. This is because the risk of the revelation of Kristian's power was still high. Finally Elsa says, "I guess that I should apologies for not warning you about Olaf earlier. I hope he has not startled you too much. I know what he can be like. People who have not heard of Olaf can easily be unnerved by his presence."

"Seeing Olaf was a bit of a shock, but Kristian here was able to smooth things over," replies Izabell. "Olaf is quite the um… unique character."

"Indeed he is," adds Elsa with a slight smile. "He always has a happy and joyous personality. There has never been a time that I haven't enjoyed having Olaf around."

"And there has never been a time that I haven't enjoyed being around others!" chirps Olaf in addition.

"Yes, but I think now is probably not the best time to be introducing yourself to Izabell and Anton," says Elsa. "They would have just been settling down for the night when you showed up."

"Izabell wasn't in bed when I enter the room," replies Olaf. "Besides, I thought that it was still early in the evening. Beddie-by time is a few hours away yet."

"Olaf, it can take a little while for people to settle into a new room," says Elsa.

"Sure, that's right," interjects Anna. "Besides, after the ordeal the two of them had in getting here, they could use some time to themselves."

"You had a difficult journey?" inquires Kristian as he addresses Izabell.

However, it was not Izabell that answered it was Anton. "The travel itself is what one would expect from traveling through the countryside during the winter," replies Anton. "It was more difficult than any other time of the year but not impossible. The true difficulty happened as we neared Arendelle."

"Apparently they were set on by bandits," adds Elsa. "Fortunately for them, Kristoff was nearby to provide assistance."

"Yes, and he was able to get them safely to the palace," interjects Anna. "So Izabell and Anton have only been here for a short time. So you see they really don't know what life is like here in Arendelle."

"I sort of noticed that already," replies Kristian. "Not only were they surprised by Olaf, but they don't understand why I am not bothered by your magic."

"Oh, um…, there is nothing really to it," says Elsa a little uneasy about covering this topic. Right now, Elsa thinks that the revelation of Kristian's magic would not be a positive thing. She doesn't want to be put into a position of defending Kristian against Anton. "Ah…, even Anna is not afraid of my touch either. So you see. It is just not a big deal."

"Yes…, that's right!" exclaims Anna a little awkwardly as she walks up alongside of Elsa. Once she gets there, Anna then reaches out and takes a hold of Elsa's hand. "See, there is nothing for me to worry about; and Kristian has nothing to worry about either."

As Anna and Elsa both behave strangely in front of everyone, they all become puzzled by the sisters' actions. Anton's reaction is one of skepticism. He suspects they are trying to hide something, something that could possibly be dangerous. As for Izabell, her skepticism is one of curiosity. She doesn't think there is anything to fear from Elsa. Yet, Anna and Elsa's behavior signal to Izabell that something is not quite right.

Finally there is Kristian. He looks over at Elsa and Anna with a confused look. Kristian doesn't understand why the sisters are acting like this. However, he decides that it might be best if he doesn't push things. Still, Kristian says, "Elsa?"

However Olaf is not as observant as the others. So his thought pattern is different. "Of course Kristian can hold Elsa's hand. He is as brave as Anna," chirps Olaf. "Yet, Kristian is special in his own way. Not only can Kristian coup with Elsa's snowy excitement, he can…"

However, before Olaf can finish his statement, Elsa interrupts. "Olaf!" exclaims Elsa loudly. This loud interruption startles everyone. Even Elsa is a little shocked by her own outburst. Anyway, everyone turns to look at Elsa, and Elsa doesn't know what to do next. Finally, Elsa struggles to formulate a response that might be acceptable to those present. "Um…, it is probably ah… not an appropriate time to be discussing matters. Anton and Izabell need to have time to settle in for the night."

"I wasn't going to be discussing anything," chirps Olaf. "I was only going to be telling them about Kristian."

Then Anna says, "Um… Olaf, Anton and Izabell already have had a busy day. They should actually have some time to themselves. Just let them get some sleep tonight. I'm sure tomorrow there will be plenty of time for you to greet them properly."

"Oh, OK," replies Olaf. Then turning towards Izabell and Anton, Olaf says, "Well, good night. I'll be seeing you tomorrow. I'm sure we will have lots of things to talk about tomorrow."

"Yes, I'm sure there is a lot that we could be discussing, the next time that we meet," replies Izabell. "Good night."

So Olaf waves good-bye as he walks out of the room with Anna. AS they walk out, Anna says, "Come on Olaf. Why don't we head to the kitchen? I think you and I might enjoy an ice cream sundae right now."

"Ooh, I think that would be terrific!" exclaims Olaf. "I just adore sundaes!"

"I know you do," replies Anna with a smile.

So now that Olaf and Anna have left, that only leaves Elsa and Kristian remaining with Izabell and Anton. Both Anton and Elsa are uneasy about this whole situation. Whereas, Izabell and Kristian are just confused by what has occurred.

After a moment of silence, Kristian speaks up. "Well…, I'll admit that this has been a bit of an odd evening."

""Well, if you consider this evening odd, I would hate to see what you would call bizarre," replies Izabell. "For me, it has been one shock after another. Even after being made aware of Elsa's abilities, I'm still trying to comprehend everything that I have experienced."

"Well from what I can tell, you seem to be handling it fairly well," comments Kristian.

"I do hope that I am capable of handling everything that I'm going to be seeing," replies Izabell. "Because if I can handle the uniqueness that Elsa presents, then maybe I will be able to handle the abilities of…"

However, before Izabell is able to finish her sentence, Anton interrupts. "Izabell!" exclaims Anton abruptly in a slight panic. Anton's interruption startles everyone in the room. So they all turn to look at the prince. For a moment, Anton feels real awkward to be the center of everyone's attention. However, Anton quickly struggles to find a way to continue with his interruption. "Ah…, it is getting a little late in the evening. "Perhaps, um…, we could turn in and continue this conversation in the morning?"

"Oh Anton, what is wrong with you?" asks a puzzled Izabell. "You're acting so out of sorts. I'm beginning to worry about you."

In response, Anton walks up to Izabell and takes a hold of her hands. "You know I worry about you," says Anton. "And this is a new place. I just want us to be fresh for whatever may come up." Then Anton makes a slight gesture with his eyes and his head towards Elsa's direction. "I just want to make sure you are safe and ready for what may come tomorrow."

After hearing this, Izabell just sighs. Then she says, "I think you are being a little too over diplomatic about this. Still, I won't argue with you." So Izabell then turns towards Kristian and Elsa. Then she says, "I guess that we will be asking if we could retire for the evening. Though I do appreciate the time that both of you have spent with us this day; and Kristian, thank you for coming to my rescue."

Hey, it was no big deal," replies Kristian. "Though, I really didn't rescue you from anything. It's not like Olaf was actually a threat."

"No, he wasn't; but I didn't know that at the time," says Izabell with a smile. "So you did come to my rescue. Even if the only thing you saved me from were my misconceptions."

"Don't be too hard on yourself. I have seen quite a few similar misconceptions from others," replies Kristian with a smile. "Here in Arendelle, you will run into many things that will go against what you would assume to be natural. You have already met a talking snowman, and you should have seen the Christmas tree made of ice out in the courtyard."

"Yes, it was very beautiful," comments Izabell.

"Then you have seen some of what Elsa is able to do with her magic," says Kristian. "Of course, that is only a small piece of what you can expect from Arendelle. You still haven't seen what I can do, and what Elsa and I can accomplish when the two of us work together."

Now after hearing this, Izabell was going to ask Kristian about this comment. However, Elsa interrupted the conversation with a slightly frantic tone. "Um Kristian…, there is no need to go into that now," says an uneasy Elsa. "It is time that we leave and give Izabell and Anton some peace anyway."

Kristian looks over at Elsa with a very confused look on his face. As for Izabell, she looks over at Elsa as well. Then she looks over at Kristian. Izabell can see the confusion on Kristian face. Then she glances over at Anton. It was now that Izabell realizes that there is a bit of tension in the air. Most of this tension is coming from Anton and Elsa. So Izabell decides that it is time to relieve some of the tension.

"Queen Elsa is right," says Izabell politely. "It is time that we say good night to each other. Besides, if you are at the palace tomorrow, we may be able to continue our conversation then."

"Sure that shouldn't be a problem," replies Kristian. "I have a room here at the palace. So we most likely will meet in the palace tomorrow. So I guess that Elsa and I should say good night to you, and welcome to Arendelle."

"Good night, Kristian; and thank you," responds Izabell as she gives a wave goodbye as Kristian and Elsa leave the room. In response, Elsa and Kristian also wave back.


	9. Chapter 9

A few moments ago, Anton and Izabell had met Olaf and Kristian for the first time. This meeting was not exactly what you would call a typical first encounter between strangers. However it is quite common for Olaf. This greeting also got the attention of Elsa and Anna as well. However, things eventually settled down and the four residents of Arendelle departed the presence of Anton and Izabell. So finally they are alone, and Anton lets out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad that is over," says Anton.

"Anton, why are you so uptight?" asks Izabell as she is displeased with Anton's behavior. "Here, Queen Elsa and her subjects have been trying to welcome us to Arendelle; and you have been acting a little rude to her and the others."

"I have been acting rude!" exclaims Anton, surprised by Izabell's remarks. "I've been trying very hard not to be rude to the queen."

"Well, then you have been trying too hard," replies Izabell.

"Izabell, we just need to be careful around Queen Elsa," says Anton. "After all, we are searching for person that can wield fire; and the Queen of Arendelle defeated such a person in battle."

"I know that," replies an uncomfortable Izabell. The thought of Elsa and this individual battling each other makes her feel uneasy. As Izabell thinks about this, she walks over to the window and looks down at the village of Arendelle and the Christmas tree made of ice. Then she says, "And I wish you would stop calling the man we are searching for just a person or a fire demon. The man we are searching for is my brother. He is part of my family."

While Izabell was speaking, Anton has walked up right behind her. Then once she finishes speaking, Anton places a hand on the back of Izabell's shoulder. "I know what it means to you to find your brother, but does he want to be found," says Anton. "He might not be the person that you want him to be. If your brother truly has the power that you claim he does, he might have become resentful and bitter towards the rest of the world. Even if he hasn't, his power alone would make him dangerous."

"Elsa has power, and she is not dangerous," replies Izabell. "My brother could possibly be the same. Still…, I know what you are saying. Yet, I won't give up hope that I might be reunited with my brother Kris."

"Izabell, whatever we find out here in Arendelle, I want you to be prepared for the worse," then says Anton. "This man of fire may not be your brother. We also don't know what the actual outcome of the battle between the queen and this man was."

"I'm trying not to think of those possibilities," replies Izabell quietly. "If he is my brother, what might have Queen Elsa done to him during their battle? Then if he is not my brother, we have wasted time and energy pursuing a pointless trail."

After hearing this sad comment from his wife, Anton wraps his arms around Izabell's shoulders and gives her a hug. "No matter what we find out, Izabell; I will always be here for you," says Anton trying to comfort his wife.

"I know you will, but how far will you go to follow this silly notion of mine," says Izabell in response."

"I don't know the answer to that," replies Anton. "Yet right now, I feel like I would go to end of the world for you and to the very end of time to satisfy your desires."

Izabell smiles as she hears this. Then she turns around and wraps her arms around Anton. "It is times like this that I am glad that you became part of my life," says Izabell as she hugs her husband.

"Hey, I feel the same way every time that I see you smile," replies Anton as he hugs his wife back.

* * *

While Izabell and Anton are left alone in their room, Elsa is walking with Kristian away from the room. After they have gone some distance, Elsa begins to speak to Kristian about Anton and Izabell. "Kristian, we need to talk about Anton and Izabell," says Elsa seriously.

"Um, sure, what do you want to talk about?" replies Kristian feeling a little uncertain about what Elsa might want to say.

"Well…, I was talking with Anton just before you met him this evening; and he told me why the two of them have come to Arendelle," says Elsa a little uncertain about talking about this with Kristian. Yet, Elsa feels that she must talk about it.

"OK, and so what does that have to do with the hesitation that I am sensing from you?" replies Kristian, who is feeling a little uneasy.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, but you must be told," says Elsa. "According to Anton, the reason that they are here is the fact that they are searching for an individual that has the magic power over fire."

After hearing this, Kristian stops walking and stares at Elsa. In response, Elsa stops too and turns around to look back at Kristian. "Are they here looking for me?" questions Kristian out of surprise.

"No, they can't be looking for you," replies Elsa. "You are too young. The man that they are searching for is responsible for the loss of Izabell's family. You would have been just a child when that happened."

"OK, and the reason that you are telling me this is?" asks Kristian.

"I'm telling you because of the way Anton was describing this man," replies Elsa. "He was calling this man a monster… or more precise a fire demon. With the way that he was talking, I think he would have a rather negative reaction to you. I was hoping that by telling you, I could avoid any possible hostilities. You see, I was hoping to keep your unique talents a secret."

"If you think that is best," responds Kristian. "But how long do you think we can keep my magic a secret? I mean, a lot of people around here know about me. It might be easier if you moved them as far away from the palace as possible to keep it a secret."

"I don't know how long we can keep it a secret. However, the longer that we can keep it under wraps, the better the situation will be," says Elsa. "As for moving them away from Arendelle, I don't want to do that either. I already offered them my help; and besides, I like Izabell. I want to help her find the answers about her family, and I can do that best if she is at the palace."

"OK, I understand what you are saying," replies Kristian. "Then that leaves me only two choices. I either move out of Arendelle, or I start to wear my gloves full time."

"You don't need to move out," says Elsa in a slight protest. "It is Christmas and you haven't had a proper Christmas celebration before. Anna and I were going to try and make this one special for you."

"Elsa, you have already made this Christmas special just by being here with me," replies Kristian with a smile. "Still, if me being here for Christmas means that much to you, I can wear my gloves while Anton and Izabell are at the palace. "Of course that means that I won't be able to hold hands with you like we use too."

"I can live with that for a while," responds Elsa with a smile. "However, let's not waste tonight then. Who knows how long it will be before we can hold hands again." So with this said, Elsa and Kristian begin to walk down the hall holding each other's hand.

* * *

Now while all this was going on the upper floors of the palace, Anna has bothered to take Olaf to the kitchen. While they were there, Anna and Olaf had built an ice cream sundae. Now the two of them were enjoying the sundae together. This ice cream sundae was placed in the middle of a counter so both of them could easily get to it. However, Olaf has to use a stool in order to reach the sundae easily.

"This is the best way to enjoy a sundae," chirps Olaf as he takes a bite. "It always tastes better when you have someone to share it with."

"I think sundaes always taste good," replies Anna. "However, having company does make in more enjoyable, especially when that company is a dear friend."

"Well, I am happy to be your friend and a friend to anyone else that I see," happily says Olaf.

After a few more bites of the sundae, Anna speaks again. "Olaf, we need to speak about Anton and Izabell," says Anna somberly.

"What do you want to talk about?" replies Olaf as he continues to eat the sundae.

"Well…, if you don't know, Anton and Izabell are here searching for someone," says Anna.

"They did find someone," chirps Olaf. "They found Elsa and you, and they found Kristian and me."

"Yes, but they were looking for a specific someone," replies Anna. "They are looking for a man that has the magic ability to control fire."

"So?" says Olaf as he sucks some ice cream off of his spoon. "Kristian has that kind of magic. I would have told them about it, but we got sidetracked to the kitchen. At least they won't have to look too far to find their guy. Kristian lives right here in the palace. So we can tell them about Kristian tomorrow."

"No Olaf, that is not what I wanted to talk to you about," replies Anna.

"I thought it was?" questions Olaf. "You brought up Anton and Izabell, and their search for a fire wielding man.

"Yes, I did," replies Anna. "But I wanted to talk to you about not telling Izabell and Anton about Kristian's magic."

"You don't want to tell them?" questions Olaf. "I thought you and Elsa wanted to help them out."

"We do, and we will," replies Anna. "However, you have to understand why they are searching for this particular person. "You see, Izabell lost her family because of a man that could control fire like Kristian can. However, that happened a long time ago. So Kristian would have only been a boy back then. So you see, Kristian can't be the person that they are looking for."

"So, what's the problem then?" asks Olaf. "You just have to tell them that Kristian is not the guy they want. Then we can all help them find the man that they are looking for."

"It's not that simple, Olaf," replies Anna. "If you had listened to Anton talk about people that control fire, you would understand why Elsa and I are concern. Anton described those people as fire demons and monsters. He definitely showed some hostility towards people with that kind of power. Elsa and I just thought that it would be best if we could avoid any sort of conflict between Anton and Kristian."

"What about Izabell, then?" then asks Olaf. "She seems to be a very nice person. Why not tell just her?"

"Because it was her family that was hurt by this man wielding fire," replies Anna. "Izabell is searching for what has happened to her family, and the revelation of Kristian's magic would most likely disturb her thoughts. Elsa and I would prefer if we could keep the stresses down for Izabell while she is here in Arendelle. So Olaf, could you please not tell Anton and Izabell about Kristian's magic while they are here in Arendelle?"

"Will you make me another ice cream sundae?" cheerfully asks Olaf as he eats the last scoop out of the dish.

"Sure Olaf, I'll make us another one," replies Anna with a smile as she goes to begin making another sundae.

"Then I'll do as you say," chirps Olaf. "Anton and Izabell will not hear a word from me about Kristian's magic."

"Thank you, Olaf. I knew we could count on you to do the right thing," replies Anna.

"Hey, I am happy to help my friends in any way that I can," chirps Olaf as he hopes down off his stool to help Anna make the second ice cream sundae. "I especially like to help when it relates to making ice cream sundaes and eating them."

Anna just giggles as Olaf and she work on making themselves a second sundae to enjoy.


	10. Chapter 10

Just a brief description of why Izabell and Kristian don't know each other. In my mind, Kristian had to leave his home due to his power at a very young age. I put him around 3 to 5 years old. Old enough to socialize with others but not old enough to understand what is normal yet. So basically it has been 15 years or even 20 years since the two last saw each other. As for the names, I know of families that will use a shorter version of a person's name or a nickname more often than the person's actual name. I know I am pushing it with Izabell in only remembering Kristian's name as Kris. She is the older sister after all. However I wanted them to not know each other right away. I actually chose Izabell's name because of the nickname that can arise from it. Oh, and Merry Christmas!

* * *

Next morning in the room of Anton and Izabell, Anton is getting up just before the sun rises. He carefully leaves the bed and tries to get dressed without disturbing Izabell. For most of his efforts, Anton is able to keep from waking Izabell. However, he eventually fails as Anton tries to secure his sword to his waist. This is because the sword hangs down and back from his as he puts it on. So the end of the sword sheath eventually runs into a piece of furniture and makes a muffled clank. In response, Anton quickly turns to see what he had hit. This ends up causing the sword to inadvertently knock something down onto the floor with a small crash. So Anton can do nothing but grimace at all the noise that he is making.

"Anton, what are you doing?" asks Izabell as she sits up in bed and rubs the sleep out of her eyes. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, there is nothing wrong," replies Anton. "I just didn't want to wake you."

"You're up to something," comments Izabell as she gets out of bed. "So what are you up too?"

"What makes you think that I am up to something?" replies Anton a little hesitantly.

"Because I'm married to you," says Izabell a little cheekily. "After living with you for a while, I've come to know when you are up to something. So, what is it?"

"It's nothing. I just thought that I would look around the place," replies Anton. "Then I can get a better feel about how things are done around here. Maybe I will even find out something about this guy that we are trying to investigate."

"You're going to be snooping," says Izabell in a slight protest. "I don't think that is such a good idea."

"I am only going to be looking around. What is wrong with that?" replies Anton.

"If you get caught looking in the wrong place, you can get into serious trouble," says Izabell. "You can get us both into serious trouble. Anton, why don't we just talk with Elsa first before you start to snoop around. I'm sure she will tell us anything that we want to know."

If we want to find the truth about what happened here with this guy and his magic ability over fire, we can't ask someone who is going to be biased in her own favor," replies Anton. "Besides, I am not planning on invading the queen's study. The best way to find out what happened here is to ask the people of the village."

"OK, then what shall I do if the queen wants to see the both of us?" asks Izabell. "You might be tied up all day with your investigation."

"I should only be gone a few hours," replies Anton. "I'm sure the queen is going to want to get her story straight before she will want to talk to us. So I will be back before we have our little talk with her. However, if I am not back by then, just go and have your conversation with the queen. Yet just remember this, don't say a word about this guy possibly being your brother. It would be best if the queen doesn't find out about him, for your own safety."

"Not a word, I promise," says Izabell. "However, I think you are wrong about Elsa and Arendelle."

"Maybe, but I would rather rely on my own devices that those of someone we hardly know," replies Anton. Then Anton goes up to Izabell and gives her a kiss. "I'll see you in a few hours, and try to stay out of trouble."

"And that goes double for you," exclaims Izabell as she waves goodbye to her husband. Then with a sigh, Izabell begins to get herself ready for the day.

Now only a few minutes pass before a familiar figure comes walking down the hallway. It is Olaf, and he is doing what he likes to do best. Olaf has decided that since he couldn't properly welcome Anton and Izabell to Arendelle last night, he would do it this morning. So just as Izabell is getting herself ready for the day a knock is heard on the bedroom door.

"Yes, who is it?" asks Izabell as she does the last few touches to herself.

"Hey, it's me, Olaf!" chirps the happy little snowman. "Is it all right if I come in?"

"Olaf!" exclaims Izabell a little surprised by the snowman's visit. "I um…, oh…, sure I guess it will be fine."

So with this uncertain invitation, Olaf lets himself into the room. "Hi Izabell, I see that you are up already," chirps Olaf.

"Yes, I am just getting myself ready for the day," replies Izabell. "Is there any special reason that you have decided to come and visit me in my room this morning?"

"Of course," happily says Olaf. "Our greeting yesterday was cut short. So I thought we could try this all over again."

"That is nice of you, but it isn't necessary," replies Izabell. "I've already been welcomed by Queen Elsa and Princess Anna. So today all I really want to do is to find some answers."

"Well maybe I can help you find some of those answers," offers Olaf. "Anna already told me that you are looking for a guy that has magic over fire. What exactly about this guy are you looking for?"

"Anna told you about that?" exclaims Izabell out of surprise. "How did she know who I was looking for?"

"I don't have the foggiest idea how she knows," replies Olaf. "Maybe you told her last night."

"No, it wasn't me," ponders Izabell. "It was probably Anton. He had a brief talk with Elsa last night. However, I thought that he wanted to avoid discussing the topic last night with the queen?"

"Hey, where is Anton anyway?" asks Olaf. "I notice that he isn't with you."

"Oh…, um…, he wanted to check out the village," replies Izabell a little hesitant in replying. This is because she doesn't want to tell Olaf about what Anton is really up too.

"If you want, we can try to catch up to Anton," replies Olaf. "Then I can show both of you around Arendelle. There are a lot of neat places that you might not find on your own."

"Perhaps we could look at the sites later," says Izabell. "At the moment, I would prefer to talk with Queen Elsa. However, Anton is away; and I would like him to be there when we converse with each other."

"It would be kind of difficult to talk with Elsa right now anyway," then says Olaf. "She likes to spend the early morning on her own. Then after breakfast, she attends to some sort of kingdom business. However, we could talk to Anna. She is often not too busy in the morning, though she might still be sleeping now. We might have to wake her up."

"No, I would prefer not to disturb the princess. Why don't we let Anna sleep then," replies Izabell. Then after a slight pause, she says, "What about Kristian? If the two royals of Arendelle aren't available, might I be able to talk with Kristian?"

Oh sure, Kristian doesn't sleep in like Anna does; though he might still be in his room at this time of day," replies Olaf. "So if you want I could lead you to him."

"Yes, why don't we go see Kristian then," responds Izabell.

"Then follow me!" chirps Olaf as he hurries out into the hallway. "I know exactly where his room is."

So now Izabell follows Olaf through the palace down to the lower levels. However, Izabell gets a little concerned about the direction that Olaf is leading her. "I thought Kristian said that he lived in the palace," says Izabell.

"Oh, he does live in the palace," replies Olaf. "Kristian has a dungeon cell all neatly furnished for him with some help from Elsa."

"He lives in the dungeon?" exclaims a surprised Izabell.

Sure he lives in the dungeon," replies Olaf. "If he wasn't living in the dungeon, Kristian would be living on the mountains somewhere. By sleeping where he does, he is at least living in the village and close to Elsa."

"He chose to sleep in the dungeon?" questions Izabell. "Why did he choose to live there?"

"Sorry, I am not supposed to tell you that," replies Olaf.

"What?" exclaims Izabell surprised by Olaf's response.

"Oh, don't get me wrong. If it was up to me, I would tell you; but Anna asked me not to say a word," replies Olaf. "She and Elsa think it would be best if I didn't mention some things about Kristian,"

"Why would Anna and Elsa want you not to talk about Kristian?" asks Izabell. "Are they trying to hide something?"

"Boy, you sure are clever," chirps Olaf. "I haven't told you a thing, and you already have figured it out."

"I really didn't figure anything out," replies a slightly confused Izabell.

"Sure you did!" chirps Olaf. "You figured out that Elsa and Anna want to keep some things about Kristian a secret.

"I wonder why that is the case?" ponders Izabell.

There is an easy answer to that," replies Olaf. "Elsa just wants to keep Kristian safe. She is worried that if we tell too much Kristian might get into trouble. So to try and keep him from harm, certain things need to be kept a secret."

"Elsa must really care about Kristian to go through this effort to protect him," comments Izabell.

"Of course Elsa cares about Kristian, but she would give this kind of effort to protect anyone here in Arendelle," chirps Olaf.

Now as Izabell and Olaf head towards Kristian's room, Kristian is busy getting himself ready for the day. Once Kristian is ready, he bothers to sit down at a table in the room and writes a few passages into his journal. Since his life has become a little more relaxed since he has moved to Arendelle, Kristian has bothered to spend more time on writing in his journal. At this particular moment, Kristian is bothering to cover the events of yesterday.

As for Mattias, the firebird created by Kristian's magic, he is resting on a low stone ledge located in Kristian's room. This was quite a common place that you could find Mattias during the night.

Anyway, it was during this time that Kristian hears a knock at his door. In response, he turns to look. "Yes?" asks Kristian in response.

"Hey Kristian, are you decent?" exclaims Olaf through the closed door. "I have someone here that wants to talk to you."

"Sure Olaf, I would say that I am decent. I'm just spending a little time writing in my journal," replies Kristian. "So who is it that wants to talk to me?"

"It's Izabell!" exclaims Olaf.

"What?!" exclaims Kristian as he gets up quickly from his chair. As he does, the chair topples over and crashes onto the floor.

"Are you all right in there?" inquires Olaf from behind the closed door. "It sounded like you had an accident?"

Yah, I'm fine," replies a flustered Kristian. As he replies, Kristian quickly fumbles with the chair as he tries to pick it up off the floor. "I… ah… just got up too quickly. The chair just um… ah… I'm just getting things organized. Did you say Izabell?"

"Sure I did. You know, the nice lady that is married to Anton," responds Olaf. "You met Izabell last night after I tried to say hello to her. Surely you couldn't have forgotten her already."

While Olaf was talking, Kristian was frantically trying to organize his room to make sure that anything that might reveal his past was hidden. This includes hiding his journals and his mother's journals. While doing all this he responds to Olaf by saying, "No, I haven't forgotten Izabell. I just wasn't expecting her. Can you just give me a few seconds before coming in?"

"What are you doing in there?" asks Olaf after hearing all the noise that Kristian is making.

"Just putting things away!" exclaims Kristian as he scrambles around. "Don't want to show Izabell a messy room. I have to at least make a good impression. Otherwise Izabell might think poorly of her stay here in Arendelle."

"Kristian it is all right. You don't have to tidy things up for me," replies Izabell. "I won't think any less of you or Arendelle because of a messy room."

However, Kristian doesn't respond to Izabell right away. At the moment, Kristian is scanning the room for anything that he might have missed. Soon his eyes fall upon the fire sitting on low stone ledge. "Mattias," quietly exclaims Kristian.

"Kristian, are you there?" asks Izabell after hearing no response from him.

"Um, yah!" exclaims Kristian as he quickly moves over and lifts Mattias up on his arm. "Just give me a few more seconds and I will let you in!" With this said, Kristian quickly moves over to the window. Then Kristian opens the window with his free hand, and then he gives Mattias a light toss into the outside air. With Mattias finally out of the room, Kristian closes the window and heads over to the door.

Once there, Kristian opens the door and says, "Hi, sorry about the wait. I wasn't expecting to have company."

"Well I wasn't expecting to be here either, but here we are," chirps Olaf as he walks past Kristian to enter the room. Olaf does this without being invited in.

However, Izabell is not as forward as Olaf is. She remains out in the hallway. "Good morning Kristian," says Izabell. "I hope that we are not intruding on you, but I was wondering if it would be all right if I could talk with you."

"Um sure, what do you want to talk about?" replies Kristian feeling a little uneasy.

"I thought we could talk somewhere a little more comfortable. Perhaps we could talk in your room," suggests Izabell.

"Oh, right! Sorry about that. Come on in!" replies Kristian as he gestures for Izabell to enter his room.

"Thank you," replies Izabell as she enters Kristian's room. After walking in a few feet, Izabell takes a moment to examine the interior of the room. There are very few furnishings in the room. Most of the furniture pieces have some sort of stone incorporated into their construction. This of course was done for a specific reason. Stone cannot catch on fire.

* * *

While Kristian has just invited Izabell into his room to talk, Mattias does a brief flight up to a window on the upper floors of the palace. Once there, the firebird is able to land on a narrow ledge. Then Mattias begins to peck at the window.

This window belongs to the bedroom of Anna, and she is asleep in her bed. So as Mattias continues to peck at the window, the rapping eventually wakes Anna up. Once Anna is aroused enough, she slowly roles over so that she can look over to the window. Her gaze soon falls onto the firebird that is perched outside her room.

"Awe Mattias, can't you let me sleep in a little longer," complains a sleepy Anna as she rolls over again. However a few seconds later, Anna's eyes open wide. Then she sits up in bed abruptly and stares at the firebird. "Mattias!" exclaims Anna.

So with a sudden burst of energy, Anna rushes over to the window and opens it. Then Anna offers her arm for Mattias to land on, and so Anna brings the firebird into her room. "Mattias, what are you doing outside?" asks Anna excitedly. "Kristian wouldn't allow you out with Anton and Izabell roaming about. Unless…. I've got to tell Elsa!"

* * *

Meanwhile back in Kristian's room, Izabell has been admiring the furnishings of the room. Though there are not many pieces of furniture, the pieces were beautifully made. As Izabell admires the craftsmanship, she says, "I'm surprised how well this place is furnished. When Olaf told me that you were living in the dungeon, I wasn't expecting such beautiful pieces of furniture down here."

"Thanks," says Kristian as he goes and pulls the chair away from the work table for Izabell to sit down on. "Elsa has tried very hard to make my stay at the palace as pleasant as possible. Most of the pieces in here were specially ordered by her."

"That's right!" chirps Olaf. "Elsa has tried to do everything she can to accommodate Kristian's special needs, and so has everyone else."

"Special needs?" questions Izabell as she sits down on the chair.

"Olaf, you and keeping secrets!" exclaims Kristian as he cringes over what Olaf had said.

"What? I haven't said anything that I was told to keep quiet about," replies Olaf. "I thought that I was keeping your secrets rather well."

"Yah, you keep them in a way, but the other things you say tend to create difficulty for the rest of us," says Kristian with some disapproval.

"Don't be too hard on Olaf," replies Izabell. "In a way, I am glad that he has said as much as he has. Anton and I were becoming a little concerned with Elsa's behavior last night. Now I have a small understanding why she was acting oddly. She wants to try and protect you."

"Yah, Elsa has always done everything she can for me," says Kristian as he goes and sits down on the edge of the bed to talk with Izabell. "Sometimes I think that I cause more problems than I'm worth. Still, I sort of enjoy the efforts that she goes through for me."

"We've all been trying to make the effort, Kristian!" chirps Olaf. "The whole village of Arendelle is on your side."

"There is no denying that either," replies Kristian. "I've made several friends out in the village. Some of whom have done more for me than I thought they should have."

"It sounds like you have led a blessed life here in Arendelle," comments Izabell. "You must have had a very fortunate life."

"Well, it hasn't always been this way," replies Kristian. "You see, I actually haven't been in Arendelle for all that long. While life has been good for me here, my life before Arendelle hasn't always been that great."

"You have lived in other places?" asks Izabell.

"Um…, yes. As a boy, my family moved around a lot," replies Kristian as he tries to talk with Izabell without revealing too much about what he is capable of. "So we were never in one place for very long."

"So have you ever been in the Kingdom of Hesperis," then asks Izabell.

"Where?" replies Kristian.

"Hesperis, it is the kingdom that Anton and I have come from," says Izabell. "I was wondering if your travels ever took you near where I live."

"I really can't say," replies Kristian. "I was very young. Learning the names of places was not a priority for me. In fact, my memory way back is very sketchy. So I remember very little before I started to move around a lot."

"So you probably wouldn't know if you were in Brannvalle either," comments Izabell.

"The name seems vaguely familiar, but why are you so interested in where I have been?" asks Kristian.

"Oh, I am sorry," replies Izabell. "You just seem vaguely familiar to me. So I was wondering if we might have crossed paths."

"I can't rule out the possibility, but it is not likely," says Kristian. "I spent most of my childhood in smaller villages and hamlets. In those places, you almost never saw anyone of royal blood."

"I guess you're right," replies Izabell. "It's just that after last night, I have had this nagging thought that I knew you from somewhere."

"You did? Then why didn't you say something about this last night?" asks Kristian.

"Well there was so much going on last night," replies Izabell. "Our arrival in Arendelle was less than ideal. It left us in a less than desirable state to meet Queen Elsa. Then the whole situation with meeting Olaf was full of distractions as well. It was hard to think of anything else."

"What can I say?" chirps Olaf. "I have a habit of becoming the center of attention. I guess people must like my friendly personality."

"Sure Olaf, it is your friendly personality that draws people's attention," replies Kristian with a smirk. "It has nothing to do with your snowy complexion."

"Nah, I'm sure it has everything to do with my lovable self," chirps Olaf. "People always like warm hugs."

"Yes, you are quite the charmer. Aren't you?" replies Izabell with a smile. "So why did Elsa decide to create such an interesting snowman?"

"Oh, that is a great story!" exclaims Olaf. "I would love to hear that story again myself!"

"Olaf, you lived a good part of that story," amusingly replies Kristian.

"I know. That is what makes it such a great story," chirps Olaf. "Of course, Elsa and Anna rediscovering their love for one another is also a nice piece of the story as well."

"I wouldn't mind hearing the story myself," adds Izabell. "It would be nice to understand why things are the way they are here in Arendelle."

"Um sure, I can try and tell it to you," replies Kristian. "However, I would be telling it to you second hand. I might miss some of the details."

"Don't worry about it, Kristian!" chirps Olaf. "I can fill in any details that you might miss."

So with this, Kristian and Olaf begin to tell the tale of how Elsa became the queen of Arendelle.


	11. Chapter 11

While Olaf and Kristian are talking with Izabell, in another part of the palace, Anna has quickly gotten herself dressed. Then once suitably attired, Anna cautiously peers out her bedroom door to make sure that the hallway was clear. She does this because Anna wants to avoid running into Anton and Izabell. Once she was sure it was safe, Anna quickly exits her room with Mattias perched on her arm.

So now Anna quickly moves through the palace. However, Anna would stop and peer around nearly every corner that she comes too. Yet even with these slight pauses, Anna is able to continue move through the palace with little delay. Soon enough, Anna comes to a door with the muffled sound of conversation coming from behind it. Now Anna slowly opens this door. Then Anna just sticks her head in to see who is all in the room.

In the room, seated around a table, are Elsa and a little over a half dozen of the palace staff. So Anna sighs a little out of relief. Then she interrupts the conversation. "Elsa, do you have a moment?" inquires Anna. "I think there might be a problem."

"Yes, I think I can spare you some time," replies Elsa. "We were only going over the details of the Christmas Day celebration."

"Good, because look who I found outside my bedroom window," says Anna as she walks into the room with Mattias on her arm.

"Mattias!" exclaims Elsa as she quickly stands up at the table. "What was he doing outside? Kristian knows that Anton and Izabell are around! So he wouldn't just let Mattias outside like this!"

"I know, and that can mean only one thing," replies Anna. "Kristian must have visitors. So either Izabell or Anton had ventured down to his room."

With this realization, Elsa turns towards the others seated at the table. "We will have to adjourn until tomorrow," says Elsa abruptly. So with this decision, the servants begin to depart Elsa's presence. As the servants leave, Elsa quickly walks over to Anna. "I hope Kristian is able to keep his abilities a secret," says a worried Elsa.

"I'm sure he is able to keep quiet about it," replies Anna. "Kristian has had several years of experience in keeping his magic under wraps."

"Yes, but Kristian's room is full of clues of what he is capable of doing," says Elsa. "He might not be able to keep things hidden for very long. Anna, can you take care of Mattias and keep him hidden for a while? I'll need to go see how Kristian is doing."

"Sure, it won't be a problem," replies Anna. "I'll keep Mattias hidden. Besides, Kristoff will be showing up today. Once he is here, I'll have Kristoff take Mattias home with him. That way Anton and Izabell won't accidentally run into our fire friend here."

With this, the two sisters depart in separate directions. However, Elsa turns around and calls back to Anna. "Anna, I almost forgot! When you see Kristoff, tell him that I will need him and Sven to take everyone up to Goran's tomb!"

"I'll tell him!" replies Anna as she waves goodbye to her sister.

So as Anna heads off to take care of Mattias, Elsa hurries off towards Kristian's room. In the meantime, Kristian and Olaf have been telling Izabell the story of Elsa's coronation. Kristian has been telling the story in fairly general terms. However, Olaf adds lots of embellishments as Kristian tells the story. So it does take a little time for the story to be told.

Anyway, soon enough, Elsa makes it down to the dungeon and Kristian's room. Once there, Elsa enters the open door and sees Kristian and Izabell talking. "Kristian is everything all right down here?" asks a concerned Elsa.

With Elsa's question everyone turns to look at the Snow Queen. "Oh. Hi, Elsa! Um sure, everything is fine here," replies Kristian.

"Hi, Elsa!" chirps Olaf as he waves. "Kristian and I were just telling Izabell how you became the Queen of Arendelle!"

"I see," replies Elsa as she walks closer to Izabell and Kristian. Elsa's nervousness has eased, but she is still concerned about Izabell being here. "Is that all the three of you have been talking about?"

"Oh, we did talk about Kristian's room here, and Izabell inquired about where Kristian lived before he came to Arendelle," replies Olaf.

However, hearing this does not relieve Elsa's nervousness. In fact it makes it worse. Elsa knows that Kristian's time before Arendelle was spent on the top of a mountain alongside of Goran. You see, Elsa wants to keep some distance between any magical fire and Kristian. However, a connection with Goran would closely link Kristian with such power. So Elsa's nervousness gets so bad that a few snowflakes begin to fall in the room. This snow causes Izabell to be surprised and puzzled by this strange event. However, Olaf laughs happily as the snow begins to fall in the room. Meanwhile, Kristian realizes what is happening.

"Elsa, we were talking about the villages and hamlets I lived in. When I was moving around as a kid," quickly says Kristian. "Izabell was wondering if we might have met earlier.

"Oh," replies Elsa as her nervousness subsides. "So…, did you meet before?"

"Probably not, but I can't shake this nagging feeling that I might know Kristian from somewhere," replies Izabell. "I just don't know why."

"Perhaps in time, the answer might reveal itself to you," says Elsa. "However, right now you are here in Arendelle for a different answer. So if you are ready, I am available to answer your questions."

For a moment, Izabell hesitates to respond. Finally she says, "I'm afraid that Anton is not here at the moment. However, if it would be all right, I can talk with you myself."

"Anton is not here?" questions Elsa as she feels uneasy about his absence. "Where would your husband have gone?"

"He, ah…, went out to explore the village," replies Izabell as she feels a little uncomfortable about answering Elsa's question.

"And he has gone without you?" asks Kristian.

"He, um…, wants to check things out," replies Izabell. "He is a bit of a cautious individual, especially where my safety is a concern to him."

"Hey, it sounds like Anton is looking around just like Kristian did. You know, when Kristian first came to Arendelle," comments Olaf.

After hearing this comment, Elsa and Kristian look at each other. You could almost see the concern on both of their faces. Then Elsa turns back towards Izabell. "Yes, well…, I'm sure he won't find anything that should concern him too greatly," says Elsa as she feels uneasy about Anton being out among the villagers. "However, I think it would be best if we did have our talk without Anton. I've already begun to make arrangements; and if Anton is late, we might not be able to find the answers you seek today."

"Arrangements?" questions Izabell.

"Yes, Anton gave me a brief description of why you have come to Arendelle," replies Elsa. "So I have made plans to assist you according to what Anton has told me."

"I did not think you would have to go through a lot of trouble to answer any of my questions," says Izabell as she becomes a little concerned about this. In Izabell's mind, maybe Anton was right about Elsa. Still Izabell wants to find some answers to her questions. "Yet, if you have gone through so much trouble already, then I think that we should proceed."

"Very well then," replies Elsa. Then turning towards Olaf, she says, "Olaf, could you please lead Izabell up to the royal quarters where we will be more comfortable. I need to have a private word with Kristian."

"Sure thing!" chirps Olaf. "Shall I take Izabell up by the Christmas tree then?"

"Yes, that will be fine, Olaf," replies Elsa. "Thank you."

"So Olaf hurries off and says, "Follow me up to the tree!" So in response, Izabell begins to follow the funny little snowman out of the room.

Once Elsa and Kristian are alone, Elsa turns towards Kristian and says, "Kristian, can you head up to Goran's tomb and check things out? I want to take Izabell up there later today, and I don't want anything in Goran's tomb that might lead Izabell and Anton to you."

"Sure, I'll take off right away," replies Kristian.

"Thank you," responds Elsa as she begins to follow after Izabell. "Oh and Kristian, please take a horse this time. Mattias is just too big visually when he is carrying you. You can spot him several miles away."

"You certainly know how to take the fun out of life," says Kristian amusingly.

"I've put more fun into your life than I have taken out," replies Elsa cheekily as she walks out of Kristian's room with a smile on her face.

* * *

While this was going on in the dungeon, Anna had managed to carefully work her way back to her bedroom with Mattias. Once there, Anna walks over to the fireplace to put Mattias down. "Here you go, Mattias," says Anna. "Make yourself comfortable."

So in response, the firebird hops off of Anna's arm and begins to flare away in the fireplace. In a few moments, the physical shape of the firebird dissolves into the flames of the fire. So as Mattias begins to settle in, Anna begins to walk over to her window.

"I know this isn't typical for you to spend time in my room, but we just can't take any chances with Izabell and Anton roaming around out there. The last thing we need around here at Christmas is some kind of hostility."

Once Anna reaches the window, she goes and pulls a chair up alongside the window. Then Anna goes and sits down. With the chair in this position, Anna can look out the window and see everything going on in the village square. She can also see parts of the palace bridge and the courtyard.

"I also hope you don't mind spending time at Kristoff's place," says Anna as she addresses the firebird. "I think that is also going to be a first for you. Still, you like Kristoff. So I think you won't mind spending time with him."

In response, Mattias lets out a screech before dissolving back into the fire. So Anna just looks over and smiles at the fire. "Mattias, I think you are one of the most understanding individuals that I know," says Anna. Then Anna turns and looks out the window again. Then after a moment, Anna sighs. "You know, I think today is going to be one of those days you wish you didn't have to go through," says Anna mostly to herself. "I just hope that Izabell's and Anton's presence will not hamper all the plans that Elsa and I have made for this Christmas."

Anyway, Anna sits at the window and looks out at the village square. She is waiting for Kristoff to arrive, and this advantage point allows Anna to see anyone approaching the palace. However Anna does not have to wait very long. Soon enough, Anna sees Kristoff and Sven coming across the village square.

So with the sight of her fiance, Anna gets up and heads over to the fireplace. "Mattias, Kristoff is here," says Anna into the fireplace. "It's time for us to go."

So with Anna's announcement, Mattias begins to solidify and he then hops to the edge of the fireplace. Once Mattias's flames have disappeared from the surface of his body, Anna offers her arm for the firebird to hop on. In response, Mattias does just that. Now with the firebird safely on her arm, Anna begins to head out towards the palace courtyard. Anna moves swiftly and cautiously with her fiery cargo. This is because Anna wants to avoid running into Anton and Izabell while she is carrying Mattias.

In time, Anna makes it down to the foyer of the palace and this is where she runs into Kristoff. "Hi, Anna," says Kristoff as he sees Anna in the foyer. "You must have really missed me if you're down here already, but you have nothing to worry about. I made sure that I have the entire day to spend with you."

Just then, Mattias lets out a squawk and Kristoff's attention is drawn to the firebird on Anna's arm. "So why do you have Mattias with you?" then asks Kristoff.

"I do miss you, but that is not the reason why I am down here," replies Anna. "There is sort of a problem here at the palace."

"A problem, what sort of a problem?" asks Kristoff.

"The problem has to do with Anton and Izabell," replies Anna. "Apparently they are searching for someone who has magic like Kristian's, and they seem to be intolerant to such people. So, Elsa and I have decided that Kristian's abilities need to be kept a secret."

"So is that the reason that you have Mattias?" then asks Kristoff. "Wouldn't it be better if he was hidden in Kristian's room instead of parading Mattias around the palace on your arm?"

"Mattias was in Kristian's room, but someone must have gone down there," replies Anna slightly annoyed with Kristoff's obvious remark. "And I am not parading him around the palace. I've brought Mattias here so that you can take him away from the palace. We figured that you could hide Mattias at your place until we can figure out how we are going to handle the situation with Anton and Izabell."

"Um sure, Mattias can stay at my place. I will take him until things blow over here," says Kristoff. So Kristoff offers his arm as a perch for Mattias, and the firebird hops on. "This is going to a bit of a bummer on our day. Still I guess that it could be worse. Once I drop Mattias off, we can have the rest of the day to ourselves."

"I'm afraid that it is worse," replies Anna a little hesitantly. "After you take care of Mattias, Elsa wants you to come back with your sled. She wants to take Izabell up to Goran's tomb today."

"Awe man, that means our day is totally ruined," bemoans Kristoff. "It is going to take us nearly the entire day to go up there and back."

"I'm sorry about that," replies Anna. "Still, I don't think the day will be totally ruined. I'm planning on going with everyone. Elsa might need a little support, and I want to be there for her." Then Anna goes up to Kristoff and gives him a kiss on the cheek. "So I'll see you in a little while then."

"Yah, I'll see you later," replies Kristoff as he gives a wave goodbye to Anna. He is not all that happy about having this day interrupted, but Kristoff is more than willing to help Anna and Elsa.

So now that Kristoff has his orders, he heads out to take care of his side of things. Once on his sled, Kristoff takes off with Mattias perched on the back of the seat rest. However, as Kristoff goes through the village he doesn't go unnoticed. Anton was doing his own investigation among the villages and he happens to see Kristoff on his sled. Fortunately, Kristoff also sees Anton at about the same time. So with the sight of Anton, Kristoff quickly reacts to this by moving his arm behind Mattias. Then by pulling his arm quickly forward, Kristoff brushes the firebird down into the seat.

Unfortunately, this move startles Mattias. So Kristoff's sleeve gets singed by the flaming bird's fire. "Ow," quietly says Kristoff as he temporarily drops the reins as he pats the smoke rising from his sleeve. "Sorry Mattias but stay down," Then as the sled begins to pass Anton, Kristoff gives a light wave of recognition to Anton; and Anton gives a slightly perplexed wave back at Kristoff. This is because Anton is puzzled by Kristoff's strange antics.

Anyway, with this close encounter avoided, Kristoff is able to get back to his place without any trouble. The first thing that Kristoff does when he gets back is to make sure that Mattias is comfortable. This isn't too difficult. All Mattias really needs is a place to rest and plenty of food. The fireplace in the house is more than suitable for a firebird. As for the food, Kristoff has to spend time to haul several pieces of firewood into the house; and he places them close to the fireplace.

Once Mattias was taken care of, Kristoff then heads out and works to hook Sven up to a special sled. This sled was specifically designed for the purpose of hauling Queen Elsa around. It was a sleek elegant design. Besides the driver's bench, there are two other rows of seats facing each other. There is also a smaller cargo area behind the seats for any possible longer journey. However on this journey, this space will not be necessary.

Once Kristoff is prepared, he once again heads back towards the palace to await for the passengers that will be heading up to Goran's tomb.


	12. Chapter 12

Now while Kristoff is busy with his responsibilities, a conversation will be going on back at the palace. However, before the conversation could begin, Olaf had to lead Izabell up to the royal quarters of the palace.

As soon as Olaf walks into the room with the live Christmas tree, he exclaims, "Here we are! I think this is one of the nicest rooms in the entire palace."

"Yes, it is very nice," replies Izabell as she stops to examine the room. "It looks as nice as many of the other rooms that I have seen at the palace."

"True, many of the rooms are beautiful; but this room is extra special," says Olaf. "This room is the one that is decorated with the loving hands of Anna and Elsa. The Christmas tree is especially filled with the past memories of Anna and Elsa's life."

So with this comment, Izabell goes over to examine the tree more closely. The ornaments, that Izabell see, are a mixture of glass, wood, and metal. Very few of the ornaments on the tree are duplicates of another.

"There are quite a range of styles of ornaments," comments Izabell. "Is there any significance to the different materials?"

"Sure there is," chirps Olaf. "The wood and metal ornaments came from a different time during Elsa's life than the glass ones."

"The glass ornaments are from a different time?" questions Izabell.

Just then Izabell hears Elsa's voice behind her. "I see Olaf has delivered you safely here, and it sounds like he has also been trying to explain our Christmas tree," says Elsa.

Yes, Olaf has been very helpful, and we were just beginning to talk about the ornaments on the tree," replies Izabell.

"Ah, I see," replies Elsa with a smile. "Then perhaps I should fill you in on some of the details of these ornaments. You see, each ornament represents a happy moment from the life of my family. So every Christmas, a new ornament is placed on the tree to commemorate something that was significant to my family in the past twelve months."

So these ornaments represent your past," comments Izabell.

"Yes, but not all the ornaments are about my life," replies Elsa. "Some solely represent moments of my sister or my parents' life. Still it is nice to look at this tree and know that each ornament represents a happy moment in each of our lives."

It must be nice to have such a visual reminder," comments Izabell. "However…, not everyone has such a splendid way to remember happier times."

"Yes…, I am aware of this," replies Elsa quietly. "From what I understand from Anton, your family was plagued with misfortune."

"Yes, circumstances have been very unfair to my family," says Izabell. "At a young age, I lost two members of my family. Then a few years later, my father left in search for them; and I have never seen him since."

"I am sorry for your loss," replies Elsa sympathetically. Then Elsa gestures over to the sofa as an offer for Izabell to sit down. In response, Izabell walks over to the sofa. "I know that there is nothing that I can do to change what has happened to your family, and I know what is like to lose family unexpectedly," says Elsa as she walks along with Izabell and sits with her on the other end of the sofa. "However, I do believe that you are here to try and find some answers that concern your family."

"That is the reason that Anton and I have come here to Arendelle," replies Izabell. However, Izabell is also feeling a little wary about revealing too much to Elsa as well. "It seems that Anton has told you quite a bit about our journey and my family. So I am curious. In how much detail did my husband reveal to you about my family?"

"Anton really did not go into much detail about what had actually happened," says Elsa as she wants to carefully select her words in replying. "However, he did say that a bad individual entered your childhood home. Anton also said that this villain took your mother away from you and had the ability to magically control fire. Your husband basically described this evil person as a fire demon."

As Izabell listens to Elsa talk, she is shocked by what she is hearing. Anton had basically described her brother as a monster. As Elsa finishes speaking, Izabell looks away from Elsa and quietly says, "Oh, Anton."

Elsa notices this. So she asks, "Izabell, is there something wrong?"

This question surprises Izabell as she abruptly looks over to Elsa. For a moment, Izabell is dumbfounded on how to respond. Anton had told Izabell not to tell anyone about her brother. So how could she possibly respond to Elsa? Finally Izabell begins to speak as she struggles to find the appropriate words to say.

"It's nothing your majesty," replies Izabell. "It's… only that I'm surprised by how Anton described the um… demon."

"Is there something wrong with how he described the man?" asks Elsa.

"No…," replies Izabell as she wants to avoid talking about her brother. "The way that Anton described the person um… can be considered fair. They are just not the terms that I would necessarily use."

"The terms that Anton used were pretty harsh," comments Elsa. "Would you have not used such harsh terms yourself? This man did take your mother from you."

"Well…, I really wouldn't know what words I would have used to describe this person," replies Izabell. "Still I think I would have said that he simply existed. I just wouldn't have called him evil like Anton did. Things just happened, that's all. Some of which was just not under the control of this magical person."

After hearing this, Elsa becomes cautiously optimistic. Maybe Izabell could possibly handle what Kristian was after all. Still, Elsa needed to enquire more about this magical person from Izabell's past. "Are you saying that what had happened to your family in the past was some kind of accident? There was no malice intent behind his actions?" asks Elsa.

"Well…, it was sort of an accident in the results; but the action which caused the accident was done more or less deliberately," replies Izabell. "As for the individual's intent, I have no idea what he was thinking. I wouldn't even know what this man's attitude would be like if I were to meet him today."

Elsa sits quietly as she somberly listens to Izabell talk. From what Elsa hears, she decides that it is too early to try and introduce Kristian's magic to Izabell. Besides, there is still the matter of Goran to discuss with this Princess of Hesperis. In Elsa's mind this has to come first. "It sounds like you might have a dilemma on deciding on how to react to this individual," comments Elsa.

"I know what I would like to happen; but honestly, I have no idea on how I would react. Nor would I know how this magical person might react to me," replies Izabell. "Yet, before I can know what might happen between us, I first need to find this man; and from what I understand, you had an encounter with such an individual."

"Yes, a man that had the magic to control fire came to Arendelle this last spring. He came here after learning about me from the Duke of Weselton," responds Elsa.

"That is what Anton and I understand from our visit to the Kingdom of Weselton," says Izabell with some hope. This is because the story that the Duke of Weselton told had some validity to it. "We also heard that you had to fight against this man. Obviously, you were able to survive this encounter; but Anton and I really don't know what happened during or after your battle."

Well…, I will try and only go over the more important details of that encounter. There are many things that I would prefer to forget about that day," replies Elsa. Actually, Elsa just wants to avoid going into too much detail. This is because, Elsa fears that she might reveal Kristian's magic to her royal guest. Still Elsa continues to speak. "Anyway, I first ran into this magical man when he surprised me by confronting me out in the village square. At the time, I was walking back to the palace with Anna when I first met this stranger. Then after a brief exchange of words, he attacked me with his magic."

"He was the first one to attack?" says a surprised Izabell. This was something she did not want to hear about her brother. "Was he even provoked before he attacked?"

"The only provocation he received was merely my existence," replies Elsa. "He may have come to Arendelle on behalf of the Duke of Weselton, but Goran's motives were his own. As I understood it, Goran simply saw me as a threat to his possible future as monarch of some land."

"Wait, did you say Goran?" asks Izabell. "Was that his name?" Izabell's hopes lift a little because this is not even close to the name that she remembers for her brother.

"That is what he called himself," replies Elsa.

"I wonder if that was his given name or one he chose for himself," ponders Izabell.

"I wouldn't know," replies Elsa. "However, it wouldn't surprise me that he gave himself that name. He had a reputation before coming to Arendelle. So Goran may have chosen his name, either to protect himself or to have a certain effect on people."

After speaking, Elsa notices Izabell slouch in her posture. This is because Izabell is disturbed by what Goran is. Izabell is also disturbed by the fact that this might actually be her brother, and this man seems to be a real monster. "Is there something wrong?" asks Elsa.

"What? Oh! Sorry," replies Izabell. "I was um lost in thought. Everything is fine. I was just thinking of what a monster this Goran guy was, but perhaps we should continue with the story of your encounter with that man. You mentioned that Goran attacked you?"

"If you are sure?" says Elsa. "Very well, I will continue. Anyway, when Goran attacked, his magical fire ended up knocking me onto the harbor."

"Don't you mean into the harbor?" asks Izabell.

"Well, I would have ended up in the water if I had not frozen the water of the harbor before I landed," replies Elsa. "So I actually ended up landing on ice. Anyway, Goran fought against me out on the harbor. That was until Goran thought that he had defeated me."

"Wait, he defeated you?" exclaims Izabell. "I thought you defeated him."

"In the end, I did defeat Goran," replies Elsa. "However, out on the harbor, Goran only thought that he defeated me. You see, during our battle, the ice beneath my feet melted and I fell into the water. Then with my own magic being highly active, the water froze above me. Since Goran's fire attack was so fierce, he didn't see what had actually happened."

"You were trapped under the ice of the harbor?" questions Izabell. "How did you manage to get out from under the ice in time?"

Before Elsa could reply, Olaf speaks up. "That is an easy question to answer!" chirps Olaf. "Kristian broke open the ice! Then Anna and Kristoff pulled Elsa out!"

When Olaf began to speak, a sense of dread fills Elsa's mind. She knew what Olaf was going to say, and the snowman did not disappoint Elsa's fears. However, fortunately, Olaf had stopped short about telling Izabell about Kristian's magic. "Olaf," quietly says Elsa as she cringes. Elsa had spoken so quietly that it was barely noticeable by Izabell and Olaf.

"So Kristian was around to help you against that fire wielding man," comments Izabell. "He must have really cared about you to risk defying such a dangerous person."

"Um… yes," replies an uneasy Elsa. The problem is that Elsa did not want to talk about Kristian, but perhaps she can maneuver this conversation away from him. "Kristian did risk a lot for me, but all of the citizens of Arendelle risked a lot. You see, while I battled Goran out on the harbor, several individuals tried to come to my defense. Much of what they tried had very limited success."

"Yah, everybody pitched in that day," chirps Olaf. "Anna especially gave a lot to help Elsa. However, I don't think anybody did as much as Kristian."

"Olaf, other people put in just as much effort as Kristian," interrupts Elsa as she hopes to stop Olaf from continuing on the topic of Kristian.

"Sure others were working just as hard; but since Kristian wasn't a part of Arendelle yet, you have to say that he did more than anyone else," replies a smiling Olaf.

"Kristian wasn't a resident of Arendelle during your encounter with Goran?" questions Izabell. "Earlier, Kristian and Olaf told me that he was a recent arrival here in Arendelle; but I assumed that he was living here when Goran showed up."

"He um… showed up around the same time," replies an uneasy Elsa.

"Shucks Elsa, if it wasn't for Goran's visit to Arendelle, you and Kristian would not have become such great friends," chirps Olaf. "Goran's visit was the start of your relationship!"

As Olaf continues to talk about Kristian, Elsa cringes. She wants to get away from the topic of Kristian. However, Olaf continues to bring everyone back to the subject. So because of Elsa's nerves a few snowflakes begin to gently drift down from the ceiling. For a moment, Izabell is confused by this handful of snowflakes but not for long. Having already experienced this once before down in Kristian's room and Kristian's reaction to it, Izabell realizes that Elsa is feeling stressed.

"It must have been wonderful for you to find someone who can overlook your gift and see you as a friend," says Izabell as she hopes to ease Elsa's mind.

Elsa calms down some because Izabell was able to move the conversation in a slightly different direction. So she replies, "Yes, it was a real blessing to have Kristian come into my life. Other than my sister Anna, Kristian is the only other person who easily overlooks my magic. I always have loved my sister, but Anna's loving disregard for my magic just makes me cherish her even more. I guess that is the same reason that Kristian has become so important to me as well."

"Hey, what about me?" then interrupts Olaf. "Don't I count too? I mean, I just love your magic and all the pretty and amazing things you can do with it! It makes me feel all warm and cozy inside."

"Of course, Olaf," giggles Elsa as she watches the snowman's reaction. "You're just as wonderful as Anna and Kristian. You are one of my dearest friends. I suppose that I should include Kristoff in this grouping as well. He might not be quite as oblivious to my magic as Anna, Kristian, and you Olaf; but Kristoff still takes it in a very understanding way. So I am glad to call Kristoff my friend as well."

"It sounds wonderful that you have managed to find your place as the Queen of Arendelle," comments Izabell.

"Yes, but it took my family and friends for me to find my place," replies Elsa. "I doubt that I could have gotten this far without them. However, I think we are straying off the topic we are here to discuss. You actually wanted us to talk about Goran."

"Yes, we did get a little diverted in our conversation; but it was an interesting diversion," says a smiling Izabell.

"At least you enjoyed it," replies Elsa with a smile. "However, we should get back to Goran. Now let's see? Where was I?"

"Kristoff and Anna had just pulled you out of the water," chirps Olaf.

"Thank you, Olaf," replies Elsa. Then turning back towards Izabell, Elsa says, "As Olaf said, I was pulled out of the water in the harbor by Anna and Kristoff. However, while that was happening, Goran was setting small blazes around the village."

"Why would he do that?" asks Izabell. "You were defeated, or at least Goran thought you were."

"Goran wanted to punish the villagers of Arendelle for accepting me as their queen," replies Elsa. "However, those small fires were mainly meant to act as a distraction."

"A distraction?" asks Izabell.

"Yes, with the fires burning, the villagers had to go out away from the palace to extinguish them," replies Elsa. "So with fewer people to defend the palace, Goran though he could destroy the very symbol of power in Arendelle, the palace itself."

"But there would have been people left in the palace!" exclaims a surprised Izabell.

"Goran didn't care about the people that he might be hurting," replies Elsa. "He just wanted to punish those that he thought were standing against him. However, before he could fully act on his plan, Goran was confronted. So instead of destroying the palace, he had to fight in the palace courtyard. This fight led to the final confrontation between Goran and me, where he was finally defeated."

"Yes, but what happened to Goran when he was defeated?" asks Izabell. "Did he flee? Was he captured, or was he done away with?"

"Goran was not able to flee. However, what happened to him is a bit more complicated than simply dying," replies Elsa. "You see, I was able to use my powers to freeze his heart."

"You froze his heart?" asks a puzzled and slightly concerned Izabell. So far, Izabell didn't like what she has heard about Goran. Yet the idea of her brother possibly having his heart frozen does not make Izabell feel like rejoicing.

"Yep, Goran is now just a handsomely shaped block of ice," chirps Olaf.

"Ice?!" exclaims Izabell. "You actually turned Goran into ice?!"

It is a consequence of having ice magically placed into a person's heart," replies Elsa. "It was also the only way that I could find to end the fight. Goran was not going to give up his efforts, even after I gave him several opportunities to leave. I had even offered a place for him to stay here in Arendelle."

"Goran didn't take you up on your offer?" asks Izabell. She was still slightly upset over what had happened to Goran. Yet after hearing what Elsa had to say, Izabell just could not bring herself to blame Elsa for what had happened.

"He was just too set on his course, and that may have been due to do the resentment that Goran had of me and the world," replies Elsa.

"So then he is gone, forever," quietly says Izabell as she slumps down while sitting on the couch.

"Goran is not gone," chirps Olaf. "He is just cooling his heels!"

"What?!" exclaims Izabell as she sits up right. "What do you mean that he is not gone?"

"He is still here in the kingdom," replies a smiling Olaf. "All Elsa did with Goran was to move him into his own cozy little room up on the mountain."

"He is still alive?" exclaims Izabell. "I thought that you said that Goran was turned into ice?"

"Olaf is a little misleading with what he said," replies Elsa as she tries to explain things. "Goran was completely turned into ice; and yes, he is still here in Arendelle."

"I… don't understand?" responds Izabell.

"Let me explain a little more. You see, after Goran was turned into ice, I decided to prevent his body from melting away from the warm spring air," says Elsa. "So to prevent that from happening, a suitable place had to be found that could protect him. So I had Goran taken up into the cold air of the mountains and placed into a prepared cave. This cave has become his tomb."

"So Goran is gone," says Izabell somberly as her head drops. "He is just not gone, gone." Then Izabell lifts her head and looks over at Elsa. "Goran was frozen with your magic. Can your magic bring him back to life?"

"That is beyond what my magic is capable of doing," replies Elsa. "Once a person is completely turned to ice, there isn't anything that can bring them back from a frozen heart."

"That's right! There is nothing that can bring Goran back, except for a very special magic," chirps Olaf.

"A special magic?" inquires Izabell as her hope builds. "What kind of special magic?"

"The magic of true love!" chirps Olaf.

"True love?" questions Izabell.

"Well…, Olaf is correct," replies Elsa. "An act of true love can reverse the effects of a frozen heart. Yet, I can't see that happening with Goran. He was a selfish man. Goran was only concerned with his power and his dominance over others. I can't see anyone showing him an act of true love."

For a moment, Izabell contemplates the words that Elsa has spoken. Then quietly she says to herself, "But it is possible to bring him back." Then Izabell turns towards Elsa and says, "Thank you for telling me about everything. Goran sounded like a horrible man."

"His motives were not the best, but Goran was a survivor," replies Elsa. "Still I am not sorry that he is gone. Yet, it is a shame that he just wouldn't learn to let others live in peace."

"Yes, it is a shame," adds Izabell. "Still I am grateful for the information. However, I still want to see anything that Goran might have left behind."

"Of course, I have already decided that you should have a chance to look at his belongings," replies Elsa.

"Thank you, your majesty. I hope his possessions might reveal a clue to what might have happened to my parents," says Izabell. Then after a slight pause, she says, "Um…, your majesty? Also if it wouldn't be a bother, could I view Goran's body as well?"

"Of course it would not be a bother. All of Goran's belongings that he brought with him are up in his tomb," replies Elsa. "I thought that it would be simpler if I brought you up to Goran than it was to bring his belongings down here."

Then with some excitement, Izabell says, "Oh, I certainly would say that would be the better solution! So when would it be possible for us to leave for this mountain memorial!"

"I had word sent to Kristoff that I wanted him to take us up to Goran," replies Elsa. "So we can leave as soon as he returns to the palace."

"Will he be back soon?" excitedly asks Izabell.

"I don't think he should be too much longer," replies Elsa. "It's not like Kristoff has to travel very far."

Then Izabell quickly gets up from the couch and says, "Then if you don't mind, Elsa; I would like to get ready for the journey."

"Of course, we can leave as soon as Kristoff is here," replies Elsa as she stands up as well. "You must be anxious to find answers after all of these years."

"Does it show that much?" replies Izabell embarrassed for being so obvious.

"Your eagerness is very noticeable," says Elsa with a smile. "Yet, I can understand your eagerness completely. I would be too if I thought that I might be close to finding out answers about my parents."

"Thank you for understanding," replies Izabell sheepishly as she gives a wave and turns to depart for her room. Then as Izabell leaves the room and hurries through the halls of the palace, she says to herself, "Maybe I'll finally see the face of my brother again after all of these years."

With all that has happened to Izabell over the last several hours, her only thoughts have been about finding answers about Goran. It has never crossed her mind that the person she is looking for could be someone else in Arendelle. Also Anton has talked about the contrast between fire and ice. So while Elsa might have offered Goran a place to live in Arendelle, how could someone with magic over fire live in close proximity to someone with magic over snow and ice.


	13. Chapter 13

Just moments ago, Elsa had directly offered Izabell a chance to go see Goran's tomb. So now the Princess of Hesperis wastes little time in getting herself ready for the trip. Once she gets her winter garb on, Izabell quickly hurries down to foyer of the palace. Since she was quick to get herself ready, Izabell is the first one to arrive there. So now Izabell has to anxiously wait for the others. Even Kristoff had not yet arrived with Sven and the sled that is going to take everyone up the mountain.

In time, Olaf eventually arrives to provide Izabell some company. "Hi!" chirps Olaf as he greets Izabell. "I was wondering where you had gone. I had gone up to your room, but you had already vanished from there."

"I am sorry that you missed me, Olaf; but I was anxious to see Goran," replies Izabell.

"I'm just happy that I found you," says Olaf. "I thought that I could keep you company while we wait."

Thank you, that is most kind of you," replies Izabell.

"If you want a more comfortable place to wait, we can head to the dining room. There would be a nice warm fire burning away in there," suggests Olaf.

"No thank you," replies Izabell. "I would prefer to wait here for Elsa and Kristoff. I would hate to delay our departure because I was absent."

"OK, we can wait here; but Elsa suggested that we could wait in the dining room," says Olaf. "She and Anna will be heading there when they are ready. It is a much better place to wait than out here in the foyer."

"On second thought, Olaf; maybe you are right," quickly says Izabell after she hears Olaf's comments. "It would be better, if we waited someplace where Elsa is most likely to show up. Could you lead the way?"

"Sure, that's no problem!" chirps Olaf. "Just follow me!" So Olaf heads off in a happy trot as Izabell smiles and follows after him.

So in a few moments, they reach the dining hall and enter. Seated at the table is Elsa with a cup of tea in her hands. So with the entrance of Olaf and Izabell into the room, Elsa places her cup down on the table and gets up from the table. Then she walks over to Izabell.

"I see that you got yourself ready to go," says Elsa. "However, I am surprised that you are already prepared for our trip."

"I thought that it would be best if I didn't delay our departure," replies Izabell. "You are going through a lot of trouble for me."

"It really isn't that much trouble," responds Elsa. "Things to do can sometimes get scarce in the winter time. So helping you out can be a pleasant distraction from our mundane life."

"I don't think your life could ever be mundane," replies Izabell with a slight smile. "With all the magic that goes on around here, I don't think your life could ever be boring. Olaf alone is enough to keep life interesting."

"Life is always interesting!" chirps Olaf. "There is always something new to see! Even if that new thing is just something you have seen before. Then all you have to do is just look at it in a different way."

"I do believe you are right about life here in Arendelle," amusingly adds Elsa. "Things have never been quite the same since I have become queen. Still here in Arendelle, the extraordinary has become rather typical."

"What really surprises me is that I am starting to become accustom to it," adds a smiling Izabell.

While they were speaking, Elsa had directed Izabell to take a seat at the table. As Izabell sits down, Elsa says, "I'm glad that you aren't feeling out of sorts anymore. However, while we wait for everyone else would you like a hot cup of tea? It will help to warm you up before we head out into the cold."

"Yes, some tea would be nice," replies Izabell. "I could use something to calm myself down. I'm just feeling a little over anxious about this trip."

"Totally understandable," says Elsa as she walks over to the fire to pick up the hot kettle. "However, I do hope you have prepared yourself for a possible disappointment. I don't know if you will be able to find your answers in Goran's things."

"I've been trying to prepare myself for that possibility, but it is not easy," replies Izabell as she watches Elsa reach for the kettle. "I so want this to be the right place to find my answers." However as Izabell talks, her eyes fall upon the hot kettle just as Elsa's hand is about to grasp it. "Your majesty!" exclaims Izabell out of concern about Elsa burning herself.

"What?!" exclaims Elsa as she grasps the kettle handle and turns around to see why Izabell sounds so concerned. So now Elsa is just standing there, looking confused, and worried about what had caused Izabell's outburst.

"Your hand!" exclaims Izabell. "The kettle is hot! Isn't it hurting you?"

"Oh that," replies Elsa as she smiles. "You don't have to be concerned about me. My magic is able to protect me from some excessive heat. So you see, the heat from the kettle is actually not too hot for me to handle."

"Elsa's magic also comes in handy in handling all sorts of fires too!" chirps Olaf. "And I can think of a couple of people that are really happy that Elsa is able to play with fire."

Because of Olaf's comments, Elsa blushes a little with an uneasiness in her posture. Elsa knows that Olaf is talking about Kristian and Mattias. However, Izabell's thoughts go to Goran. "I should have realized that you wouldn't be bothered by the heat of a small kettle," says Izabell. "I mean, how could the heat of kettle compare to the burning heat of a magical fire? There is just no comparison between the two. Surely the fires wielded by Goran would have been more of a danger to you. Yet, you were able to handle the burning heat from his magic."

"Just barely," replies Elsa as she pours a cup of tea for Izabell. It took everything I had for me to handle what Goran was capable of doing. Fortunately, I had many people on my side to help me." After pouring the cup of tea, Elsa puts the kettle back and goes and sits down on the opposite side of the table from Izabell.

Now while Izabell and Elsa sit and enjoy their drinks, Anton is shown into the room by a servant. "Anton, you're finally here. What took you so long?" says Izabell. "You have already missed out on the discussion that Elsa and I had about Goran, the man with the magic over fire."

"You talked about him already?" says Anton out of surprise. "I didn't think you would be getting onto that topic so soon."

"It is not a busy time of year for me," replies Elsa. "Besides, I made a promise to talk with Izabell yesterday; and I wanted to honor that promise."

"Still, I thought you might have wanted to prepare things before you talked with us," says Anton as he eyes the cups of tea on the table.

"I made plans earlier," replies Elsa. "I knew it was going to take time to prepare things to meet Izabell's request. So I took the liberty to put things in motion."

As Elsa was talking, Anton thought to himself, "It is more likely you were making sure that the secrets, of Goran's whereabouts, is kept a secret. Unfortunate for you, I was able to discover where you hid his body. Some of the villagers were very helpful in revealing his location." Then after this thought, Anton says, "You have been putting in a lot of effort since we arrived. More than you should have. Since we could have managed on our own. After we had arrived in Arendelle."

"The effort has been a pleasure," replies Elsa. "It has always been my duty as queen to see to the wellbeing of everyone in Arendelle. Both you and Izabell are in need of assistance, and I intend to provide that assistance. Besides, Arendelle doesn't get many guests during the winter."

"Yah and it is always great to make new friends too!" chirps Olaf.

"Anton, lighten up some," interjects Izabell as she is displeased with the way her husband is creating distance between Elsa and himself. "There is no reason that we cannot try and enjoy ourselves a little while we are here in Arendelle."

"But Izabell, we are on a mission here to find some answers," replies Anton in a slight protest.

"And that mission is going to be taken care of by Elsa," contradicts Izabell. "She has already arranged for us to view artifacts that Goran had brought with him. So you can relax a little and take it easy for a while. So why don't you wait with us and have a cup of tea? It could do you some good to relax and not take this whole situation so seriously."

"Of course, where are my manners," exclaims Elsa as she begins to stand up at the table. "You're probably cold from being outside. Why don't I get you a cup of tea?"

However, before Elsa is able to move away from the table, Anton quickly interrupts Elsa. "That's all right. I can get my own cup of tea," says Anton as he moves towards the fire place and the kettle. Since Anton is wearing a nice pair of leather gloves to protect his hands from the cold, he can handle the hot kettle without any trouble. So as Anton pours himself a cup of tea, he says, "It's good that you will be able to examine Goran's possessions, Izabell. However, I am going to have to excuse myself from joining you. There is something else that I need to do."

"Anton?" exclaims Izabell as she is surprised by what her husband has said. Izabell also gets up from the table and begins to move towards her husband. "You came all this way with me to help me find out what had happened to my family, and you are going to abandon me at this time?"

"Izabell, it is not like that," replies Anton. "There is just something that I need to do, and I am going to be doing it for you."

"So what is it? What are you thinking on doing?" asks Izabell as she is still not pleased with Anton's explanation.

"I'm going to be…," begins to say Anton. However, he glances over at Elsa and stops. Then Anton says to Izabell, "Can I just talk to you in private?"

"Is it that important?" asks a slightly concerned Izabell.

"It is very important," replies Anton.

As this conversation was going on, Elsa was listening. Now Elsa stands up and says, "Perhaps I should excuse myself right now. You two need to talk privately with one another. So with this said, Elsa begins to walk out of the room. However, as she reaches the door, Elsa stops and says, "Olaf, are you coming?"

"I think I will stay here and keep Izabell and Anton company," chirps Olaf to everyone's surprise.

After the shock of Olaf's comment wears off, Izabell steps over to Olaf and says, "Olaf, could you just give Anton and me a little time to ourselves? Apparently Anton has something serious he wants to discuss with me, alone."

"Oh…, OK," replies Olaf. "I guess everybody needs to have their alone time with their significant other. So I will just head out and wait for Kristoff then." So after this exchange, Olaf begins to trot away. As he does he waves goodbye and says, "Bye! I'll see you in a little while!"

"Bye, Olaf and thank you!" replies Izabell as she waves back to the snowman.

As Olaf leaves, Elsa follows him out with a smile on her face. Finally Elsa closes the door behind her as she leaves the room. So with Olaf and Elsa's departure, Izabell and Anton are finally left alone.

Now that Izabell and Anton are alone, Izabell turns towards her husband. Then Izabell says, "OK, so what is so important that we need to be alone like this?"

"It has to do with Queen Elsa," replies Anton. "Out in the village, I learned a few things about the queen's fight with Goran. For instance, I know Elsa is hiding things from us. Some of those things concern Kristian."

"I know Elsa is keeping secrets about Kristian," says Izabell. "Olaf told me. I also know that she is only keeping those secrets because she wants to protect him."

"Well I found out why she is trying to protect Kristian," replies Anton. "Kristian came here with Goran to help him against the Snow Queen."

"What?!" exclaims Izabell. "But he couldn't have. From what I understand, Kristian helped Elsa against Goran."

The queen must be able to manipulate people's minds," suggests Anton. "Since Elsa somehow managed to convince Kristian to go against his former ally. She must be able to cloud peoples mind so that they will do her bidding."

"Nonsense!" exclaims Izabell. "Elsa is not like that! She cares about her people. Elsa has done everything she can to help her people and to keep them safe. It is the sacrifices that Elsa has made that cause her subjects to defend their queen. I'm sure that is why Kristian would have turned against Goran. Kristian did it to help a friend that he had found in Elsa."

"Izabell, do you hear what you are saying?" says a surprised Anton. "You are siding with Elsa the Snow Queen and not with someone who might be your brother. Plus, if you don't know, the Snow Queen destroyed this fire wielding man. To me, it sounds like Queen Elsa has already warped your mind. So tell me this, are you certain that the Snow Queen hasn't used her magic to alter your thoughts?"

For a moment, Izabell considers what Anton has said; but then she quickly dismisses the idea. "My mind has not been affected by Elsa's magic," says Izabell. "However, I won't deny that I've been persuaded by what Elsa has had to say. She had to fight for her life against Goran. So I can't hold what Elsa did to Goran against her."

"Well, if you are right about Elsa, then you do realize what that means," replies Anton. "Kristian would have betrayed Goran on his own accord."

"I am aware of what you are saying," says Izabell somberly. "Goran must have been a terrible person. I can't see any other reason why an ally of Goran's would turn against him."

After Izabell says this, Anton goes up to her and places his hands on her shoulders. Then Anton quietly says, "I told you that you might have to prepare for the worse. Still we will find out who this man really is. That is why I won't be able to go with you. Besides Kristian's relationship with Goran, I found out something that I think Queen Elsa will not want to share with us. So while you are busy with the queen, I want to investigate what I have found out."

"What is it?" asks Izabell. "What did you find out?"

However, before Anton is able to answer, Olaf comes running into the room. "He is here!" chirps Olaf. "It is time to get going!"

"Who is here?" asks a puzzled Anton. "And where are we supposed to be go?"

"Kristoff is here with the royal sled!" replies Olaf.

"He's here to take us up to Goran's tomb," adds Izabell. "That is where all of Goran's things are located."

"Goran's tomb, but that is what I was going to be search for!" exclaims Anton.

"Then you are in luck!" chirps Olaf. "Elsa has asked Kristoff to take everyone up to Goran's cool accommodations. You would be more than welcome to come along. However, if you prefer to trudge through the mountains on your own, don't let us stop you."

"No…, no, I'll come along with you," replies Anton. "I didn't think Queen Elsa would reveal the location of Goran's resting place."

"I told you Elsa had arranged everything," says Izabell. "She might be hiding some things, but Elsa has been very open about the fire wielding man that came here to Arendelle."

"I know she is hiding something," replies Anton quietly to Izabell. "I just don't know what it is."

"Just relax, Anton. We all have our secrets," responds Izabell, not so quietly. "Besides, I think it would be better to accept the help that Elsa is offering. Even if that help might be less than what we desire."

"Relying on Elsa might not get you the answers you want," says Anton.

"Neither will upsetting Elsa help us find those answers," replies Izabell.

"Awe, come on guys!" chirps Olaf. You see, the snowman has been listening to the conversation. "Elsa is doing everything to help you! Sure she wants to keep things about Kristian a secret, but that doesn't mean that Elsa doesn't want to help the two of you out."

"You are absolutely right, Olaf," replies Izabell. "We should be grateful for all the help that Elsa has been giving us."

"So then, why are we all standing around here for?" asks Olaf. "There is a sled outside waiting for us!"

"Yes, we should be going," replies Izabell. "We came all this way to find answers, and I am anxious to discover what we might find at Goran's tomb."

So with this last statement, Izabell quickly walks away as she heads towards the waiting sled. Anton follows right behind her; and Olaf brings up the rear, joyfully skipping along.


	14. Chapter 14

After having their talk; Izabell, Anton, and Olaf are making their way to Kristoff and a waiting sled. In a short while, all three of them reach the foyer of the palace. This is where they run into Elsa. She is there waiting for them. "I see you have finally arrived," says Elsa with a smile. "So have you and Anton figured out what your next move is going to be?"

"Yes, Anton has decided that he will be traveling with us," says Izabell.

"You must have been very convincing in your persuasion," amuses Elsa. "I know some guys can be fairly stubborn in their plans."

"Oh, it wasn't that difficult to change Anton's mind," replies Izabell with a smile. "Once he realized where we were going he was more than willing to come along."

"Izabell," quietly hisses Anton as he doesn't want Elsa to know what he has been up to.

So in response, Izabell turns towards her husband and says, "I think you have been taking this whole thing too far. As of now, there has been very little that you have been right about."

"I'm sorry, but is everything settled between the two of you?" asks a puzzled Elsa. This is because the Queen of Arendelle doesn't understand the argument she is witnessing.

"It is only a difference of opinion on our openness," replies Izabell.

"Openness?" questions Elsa.

"Yep!" chirps Olaf. "Anton doesn't want you to know that he has been snooping around for the location of Goran's tomb. He didn't realize that you were going to be taking Izabell up there."

Anton grimaces and groans as he listens to Olaf. Meanwhile Izabell is merely surprised. However, as she looks over to Elsa, a smile comes to Izabell's face. This is because Izabell sees a smile on Elsa's face as well. While Olaf's outburst might have surprised everyone, the snowman's carefree attitude to everything is a refreshing change from the normal behavior of people. Elsa realizes this. So she finds how Anton responds to Olaf's comments amusing. Elsa also begins to understand some of the reasons for the disagreement between Izabell and Anton.

"I see Olaf is being his usual self," says Elsa with a smile. "He always does have a way of making people feel uneasy. However, Olaf never means anything bad by what he does."

"What? Did I do something wrong?" asks a puzzled Olaf.

"You didn't do anything wrong," replies Izabell. "It's just that Anton and I would have preferred to have kept Anton's activities more to ourselves."

"Why? Now that it is out, Anton won't have to work so hard to get up to Goran's tomb," chirps Olaf.

"Olaf can be a little naive about certain things," interrupts Elsa. "He doesn't quite understand there are times that a more reserved presence is called for. However, please don't be too concerned about the revelation of Anton's less than desirable activities. I will admit that I am not pleased with Anton trying to go behind my back, but I do understand. Being known as the Snow Queen has not been easy for me. People, mostly strangers to Arendelle, will sometimes try to do things that could possible affect the kingdom without my knowing about it. So I have come accustom to learning of these secret activities. As for what you have done, Anton; it is minor thing compared to what others have tried to do."

"That is very kind of you to be this understanding," replies Izabell. "I know that some leaders would not be as forgiving if such a matter became known to them."

"I never thought that it was worth damaging any relationships if I didn't have too," says Elsa. "So if you still want to go up to Goran's tomb, I suggest that we continue outside to Kristoff and his sled."

"Of course, I for one am eager to get up there," replies Izabell.

"Then let's get going!" exclaims Olaf as he happily heads outside. He is then quickly followed outside by Elsa and the others.

Once outside, they immediately see the simple but elegant royal sled. Standing next to this sled is Anna and Kristoff. As Elsa and the others approach, Anna says with a smile, "It is about time you get here! Kristoff and I were beginning to wonder where you were."

"We got sidetracked a little," replies Elsa. Then turning towards Kristoff, Elsa says, "So is everything ready, Kristoff?"

"We are good to go," replies Kristoff. "Sven and I are just waiting for our passengers to board."

"Then let's not keep you waiting," says Elsa as she walks towards the sled.

Once Elsa reaches the sled, Kristoff offers his arm to Elsa to help her get into the sled. Kristoff was about to do the same with Izabell, but Anton interrupted this action. "Allow me," says Anton as he takes Izabell's hand and helps her in. Then Olaf climbs into the sled, but he more or less tumbles into the bottom of the sled before he straightens himself up.

"Are you all right, Olaf?" asks Izabell after seeing Olaf fall apart before he puts himself back together.

"Never better!" chirps Olaf.

"You will get use to that after a while," says Elsa with a smile. "Olaf is merely a lose collection of snowballs. If he so desires, Olaf can arrange himself in many different configurations."

"That's true; but for getting around places, this is the best way for me to be," says Olaf. "I also think this is my cutest configuration too."

While Elsa, Izabell and Olaf are settling into their seats, Anna climbs up onto the driver's seat of the sled. Anna does receive a little help from Kristoff while climbing aboard. Finally the two men, Anton and Kristoff, climb on board. Anton takes a seat next to Izabell, and Kristoff sits next to Anna and takes the reins.

"We all ready to go?" asks Kristoff as he turns to see if everyone is in their seats. "Then let's be on our way!" With this said, Kristoff gives the reins a slight crack and Sven begins to pull the sled out of the courtyard.

As the sled moves across the bridge, Izabell is a bit puzzled by the absence of Kristian. So she asks, "Isn't Kristian going to be coming with us?"

"Kristian is running an errand for me. It might take him a while to get it completed," replies Elsa, who is feeling a little uneasy about answering this question. This is because at the moment Kristian is already heading up to Goran's tomb to remove anything that might link Goran to himself. "However he will return by this evening if you want to talk with him again."

"I would like to talk to him again," says Izabell. "There is something about him that I just can't seem to figure out. He seems almost familiar to me."

"You know him from somewhere before?" asks Anton.

"I don't know," replies Izabell. "Kristian said that he traveled around a lot as a kid. Mostly he said he lived in small villages and hamlets. So maybe our paths crossed, but it doesn't seem likely."

"Perhaps he just reminds you of someone else," suggests Elsa.

"That could be it," quietly replies Izabell as she ponders the notion. "However I got to know many people during my youth. You see, after my father left; I was raised by my uncle, the Duke of Brannvalle. He was gracious enough to take me into his home, but my uncle was rather distant towards me. Fortunately, his staff was more the considerate and caring. So I was able to make friends with many of the staff and their children. I also attended many of the royal functions of the kingdom as well. So I got to know many people from many different areas."

"And at one of those royal functions is where Izabell and I met," adds Anton. "I remember seeing her standing in the ballroom with a couple of other young ladies, chatting away."

"Was it love at first sight?" asks Anna from the driver's bench. "Did you go up to Izabell and ask her to dance right away?"

"No it was not Izabell that I focused my attention on," replies Anton. "There was another lady that I had my eye on in that group of ladies. She was the daughter to the King of Brannvalle. However, as I introduced myself to her and asked for a dance, she declined my offer."

"Yes, my cousin did decline Anton's advances," says Izabell with a smile. "Unfortunately for Anton, she was already seeing another prince from another kingdom."

"And to make things even worse, the gentleman showed up shortly after I was rejected and took the princess out onto the dance floor," adds Anton. "So I was left there feeling awkward in front of a bunch of giggling ladies."

"Ouch, talk about being humiliated," comments Kristoff as he continues to drive the sled. "I would hate to get embarrassed in front of a bunch of laughing females. That could be the worst thing that could happen to a guy."

"I don't know," says Anna with some amusement. "What about the day you proposed to me? You were quite red in the face when that happened."

"Hey! I was cornered by you and Elsa!" exclaims Kristoff in protest. "Besides after that embarrassment, you actually said yes. It is not like I was rejected in front of everyone, like Anton was."

"After a slight giggle between the ladies, Izabell says, "Anton did look a little lost with himself after being rejected. So I took some pity on him and walked up alongside. Then I tried to offer him some comfort."

"Honestly, it felt a little awkward to be in front of those giggling ladies," adds Anton. "Still, it was kind of nice to be getting some sympathy. However, the ladies laughter was only making it worse."

"I will agree with you there," interrupts Kristoff. "If they want to, the opposite sex can be very cruel."

"Hey!" exclaims Anna with a hint of humor as she gives Kristoff a slight shove. "Not all ladies are like that!"

"Sorry," replies Kristoff with a slight laugh. "All ladies present are excluded from my previous remark."

Both Izabell and Elsa smile as they watch the interaction of Anna and Kristoff. Then Izabell says with some humor, "Oh, I don't know. Kristoff might have a point about the female of the species, or at least he is right about those ladies at that dance. I could see that their laughter was bothering Anton. So I suggested that we get something to drink."

"Of course I accepted Izabell's offer, if for no other reason than to get away from that embarrassing situation," adds Anton.

"So that is how the two of you got together," chirps Olaf. "Then I bet you talked and fell instantly in love!"

"It wasn't quite that simple," replies Anton. "There were some issues that needed to be worked out before our relationship could flourish."

"There were issues?" questions Elsa. "Why would there be issues that needed to be resolved? I mean you both were from royal families."

"Well…, yes, I was technically born a princess. However, I really didn't have any real claim to my royal heritage," replies Izabell. "When my father left, he had relinquished the crown to one of his brothers. So while I was still a member of the royal family, I had nothing to offer a potential suitor. Thus my future was heading in the direction of being a hand maiden to one of my cousins."

"What difference would that make?" exclaims Anna. "You loved each other, and love can overcome anything!"

"Yes, our love eventually did overcome all the obstacles, but those obstacles were our own families," replies Izabell.

"Your families?" asks Elsa. "I haven't heard much about Anton's family, but I thought you were the only one left of yours."

"I was talking about my aunts and uncles, and their children," replies Izabell. "Some of my relatives thought that one of my cousins would be a better choice for Anton than me."

"Why would they think that?" asks Olaf. "I would have thought that love is the most important thing to consider in a relationship."

"Love is important, Olaf; but in some royal families, sometimes the family that you marry into can be just as important," replies Elsa to Olaf's question.

"And my uncles thought that a stronger connection to the Kingdom of Hesperis was more desirable," adds Izabell. "Besides, what father wouldn't want to have their daughter marry the son of a king from another kingdom?"

"I was having a similar situation with my own father," adds Anton.

"Your father wanted to arrange a political marriage?" asks Elsa.

"No, my father was not all that concerned about me marrying for political reasons," replies Anton. "His concern was more about what had happened to Izabell's family."

"Why would Izabell's lose concern your father?" asks Anna. "Didn't that happen a long time before the two of you met?"

"It was the way that Izabell lost her family that concerned my father," replies Anton. "The thing that caused them to disappear was still out there. So my father was concerned that the monster might return and harm me."

"Anton!" exclaims Izabell. In response, Anton looks over to his wife with some surprise. "Please, you need to be less graphic about the man."

"Izabell, I am only considering who are companions are," replies Anton, who is feeling a little unnerved by Izabell's remark. "I'm sure Queen Elsa has a true distaste for such men like Goran."

"I will admit that Goran was indeed vial," says Elsa calmly and softly. "However, I would not hold it against anyone if they chose to think of him in a more sympathetic manner. Although Goran behaved like a monster, he would have had a family at some point in his life. So they might feel differently about the man."

"That is very noble of you to be that understanding," comments Izabell.

However, before Izabell can say anything else, Anton reaches over and places his hand on Izabell's arm. He wants to make sure that Izabell doesn't say too much. Then Anton says, "You are certainly being magnanimous about this, your majesty. It surprises me that you would be this forgiving towards the man that tried to do you in."

"Forgiving Goran, no, that is not exactly what I was doing," replies Elsa. "However, respecting him was my intent. Since I believe that every person should be treated with some level of dignity. So even a villain like Goran will need some kind of respect."

* * *

Now while Elsa and the others are heading into the mountains to see Goran's tomb, Kristian is further up the mountain on his way there too. However, instead of a sled, Kristian rides a horse. Still the trip up to Goran's tomb takes a little time.

Still, Kristian eventually makes it up to the entrance of the cave that leads into Goran's resting place. Once there, the horse comes to a stop; and Kristian just sits there on the horse. While he sits there, Kristian looks at the entrance to the cave. Then he sighs. "It has been a few months since I last came up here to see you, Goran," says Kristian. "I really don't want to see you right now, but you are going to be having guests shortly."

So now, Kristian climbs off his horse. Then he walks over to the entrance of the cave, where he stops for a moment. "For a while, I was feeling a little better about celebrating this holiday," says Kristian. "Now seeing you is just going to be bringing me down again."

Over the mouth of the cave is a set of iron gates that are locked together with an iron lock. However, around the mouth of the cave, Elsa has created a simple but decorative ice arch. At the top of the arch is etched a few simple words. At the very top the arch it reads "Goran". Just under that it reads "The Father Figure of Kristian's Youth".

After looking at the arch, Kristian raises a hand up and uses his fire to melt away the lower half of the written words, so all that was left was Goran's name. Kristian did such a good job of removing the words that another person would not be able to tell that there were originally words there.

Now with that taken care of, Kristian then heads towards the gates and pulls a key out. He then places then key into the lock to unlock the iron gates. This key was only one of three keys made. One of the other keys is in the possession of Elsa, while the third key is in Kristoff's hands.

Anyway, after unlocking the gates, Kristian heads into Goran's resting place. Once inside, he stops for a moment and looks around. This cave was created by Goran and the walls and ceiling have smooth surfaces. Everything in the cave was neat and tidy. "Kristoff does keep this place in decent shape," comments Kristian to himself.

However, soon his eyes fall upon the small cove that was notched out of the back wall of the cave. This cove has a wall of clear ice over its entrance. Behind this ice stands the frozen body of Goran. With his eyes now on Goran, Kristian walks up to the cove and looks at his former compatriot. After a moment of looking at Goran, Kristian's hands flare up; and then he looks away. Kristian's emotions are always in turmoil when he comes up here.

Early on, Kristian tried to live up to Goran's expectations of him. It had almost cost Kristian his morality. Then later, Kristian found out that Goran was just using him for Goran's own purposes. Kristian even found out that Goran had killed both of his parents. Still, Kristian could not bring himself to totally despise the man. Yes, Kristian hated Goran of course; but there was a certain amount of respect mixed in with that hatred.

Anyway, after a moment of quiet anger and regret, Kristian roars. As he does this, the flames on his hands begin to surge. Then the flames climb up his arms, and soon they cover his entire upper torso in fire. Then after this moment of emotional release, the fire subsides until the flames flare lightly off of his body.

"I don't have the time to deal with the emotional wreck you left me in, right now," hisses Kristian. "I've got work to do."

So while still in an agitated state, Kristian heads over to a pack that is sitting on the floor nearby and picks it up. Then he carries it over to the stone table in the room and roughly throws it down on the table. Then Kristian sits roughly down on what remains of Goran's stone chair. As he sits there, Kristian leans forward and places his arms onto the table and just stares at the pack.

Now while he stares at the pack, there are still flames flickering off of Kristian's arms and body. You see, Kristian is still raging a bit; and he is trying to calm himself down. Finally, Kristian closes his eyes and begins to breathe slowly. As he does this, the flames on his body begin to go out; and then the flames on his arms begin to move down to his hands. Once the remaining flames gather around his hands, Kristian opens his eyes and takes a big breath of air. Finally, Kristian lifts his hands up and is able to cause the flames to go out.

"I really need to find a way of getting over you, Goran," says Kristian as he once again stares at that man's pack. Finally, Kristian gets up and begins to open Goran's pack. "Let's see what you might have brought with you from our old mountain home."

So now Kristian begins to pull things out of Goran's pack and place them out onto the stone table. For the most part, there are not many things you would not expect to find in a traveler's pack. There were a few cooking utensils. A small fry pan, a metal cup, a fork, a spoon and a sharp knife make up the cooking hardware. Of course along with that hardware there are also a few stale and frozen food items. These items include a few hard and stale biscuits, and some meat wrapped in a lard laden cloth.

Some of the other things in the pack include a money pouch with several coins in it. There is also a pair of old gloves in the pack as well. For a moment, Kristian stops and looks at this pair of gloves. He could see that they had some age to them. Kristian could also see that the gloves are slightly charred from a fire. As he looks at these gloves, Kristian says, "And you complain about me wearing gloves. It looks like you have worn these enough where you actually need a new pair. Yet, I don't think you will ever need a new pair of gloves again, Goran."

Now while most of the things that Kristian pulled out of the pack were nothing out of the ordinary, there was one item that stood out. That item was a long fancy knife in a decorative leather sleeve. The knife itself was something that Goran would rarely take on such a trip as his last one. Such a weapon would have only been worn to show it off. Normally this would have been done to impress people. Once someone was impressed, it would be easier to gain favorable terms in any sort of negotiation.

However, it was not so much as the knife that causes Kristian to stop and look at it, it was the decorative sleeve. On the sleeve are many symbols. The largest symbol Kristian recognizes as the mark that Goran uses for himself. The symbol was an upside down "V" with a flame etched over the point of the "V". It was the symbol that Goran was going to use for his perceived kingdom. However, it was the symbols underneath Goran's symbol that really draws Kristian's attention. The next symbol under Goran's was a symbol of leadership. Often such a symbol was used for someone of high rank in a military position. Finally the symbol on the bottom of the sheath was unfamiliar to Kristian. So he studies the symbol closely. The symbol was a side image of a bird with its head bowed down to the ground. Off the back of this bird, rose small shapes that resemble flames.

"That symbol could possibly represent me," quietly says Kristian to himself. "So, why would Goran have brought this knife to Arendelle? It is not like he would have used it in any way against Elsa."

As Kristian ponders this, he begins to think of the other symbols on the sheath. "This is meant to be a military commander's weapon, an individual that would be under Goran's leadership," ponders Kristian. As Kristian thinks about this, something else occurs to him. "Maybe Goran was thinking about giving it to me after Elsa was defeated. This might have been my reward for helping him. Well, at least Goran never got the chance to give it to me. Since I've enjoyed my time with Elsa over you, Goran."

Finally, Kristian turns towards Goran and looks at his once former compatriot. "Your goals were definitely foul, Goran; but I guess you did care for me in a way," says Kristian. "Even if the only thing you really cared about me was my magic." Then Kristian turns back and looks at the sheath again. "I will say this; you will reward those that you think did right by you. Though, it is sort of typical of you to represent me as some sort of submissive animal. You never did think highly of anybody else except himself."

Now after Kristian had finish looking at the knife, he goes and pulls the blade out of its sheath. Then while holding the knife, Kristian causes the hand holding the knife to flame. Kristian then causes this flame to climb up to the blade of the knife. Once the flames gather near the tip of the knife, Kristian says, "It's a shame to damage such a beautiful piece of work, but this is the only thing here that can in any way be connected to me."

So after saying this, Kristian lowers the flaming end of the knife down onto one of the symbols on the sheath. The symbol he touches is the one of the flaming bird. By doing this, Kristian is able to burn the image away. Once Kristian is done, the only thing left of the image is a burn spot on the sheath. Afterwards, Kristian places the knife back into the sheath and places everything down onto the table.

So now that Kristian is done with the knife and its sheath, there really isn't much more for him to look at. It's not like Goran and he brought much with them when they both came here to Arendelle. The only things that they brought with them were their packs and the items that they carried on their persons. However, since Goran was frozen, there wasn't anything that Kristian could do about what Goran had on him. So there was nothing left for Kristian to do here.

So with his work done, Kristian gets up from the table and takes a slow look around the cave. Once he was done, Kristian's eyes fall once again onto Goran. Kristian frowns as he looks at Goran. Then with an angry sigh, Kristian says, "I'll have to deal with these intense emotions that I have about you later. Right now, I better get myself scarce." So Kristian turns and begins to walk out of the cave.


	15. Chapter 15

Now while, Kristian has been busy removing any possible sign of himself up at Goran's tomb, Elsa and the others are on their way there. However, Kristian only had about an hour head start when he left Arendelle. Plus, Kristian and Elsa forgot to consider Sven's skill in the snow. You see, even though Sven is pulling a sled, he is still faster than any horse when it comes to traversing the snow. So the reindeer is able to close the distance faster than what Kristian has anticipated.

Anyway, back on the path up to Goran's tomb, Elsa and the others are having a polite conversation. Most of the conversation has been between Elsa, Anna, Olaf, and Izabell. Most of the conversation has revolved around the weather, the life in Arendelle, or the life in Hesperis.

Speaking of the topic of Hesperis, Elsa asks, "So you and Anton have only been married for a few years now. Have things turned out well for the two of you in Hesperis?"

"Oh, life in Hesperis has been a delight these last few years," replies Izabell. "Of course most of that time has been spent settling into our roles as a married couple. So there have been a few problems, but for the most part things have been going very well."

"So Anton's father, the King of Hesperis, has gotten over his concerns about the loss of your family?" then inquires Anna.

"I think he still has his concerns, but the king has accepted the situation," replies Izabell.

"He has accepted Izabell into the family for one simple reason," adds Anton. "He wants to keep me in Hesperis. Because if my father was unwilling to accept Izabell in my life, I was going to live in the village of Brannvalle with her instead."

"That was quite the ultimatum that you gave your father," comments Elsa. "It almost surprises me a little that you were willing to go against your father."

"It wasn't an easy decision for me to go against my father," replies Anton. "However, after spending some time with Izabell, the decision seemed less dramatic than I originally thought that it would be."

"Actually, I really didn't do all that much," adds Izabell. "I've just learned to do things on my own. I've almost had to. Still I did learn one thing by having to live on the edges of my extended family. What I learned was that most people are basically good. I try to live my life believing in that. So if push comes to shove, I know that I can make it on my own. Especially when I know that there are people out there, even strangers, who will help me if I ask for their help."

"That is a wonderful sentiment to have," comments Elsa.

"It is also a risky one," adds Anton. "If you ask the wrong person for help, you may end up with even more trouble."

"Anton," says Izabell quietly with some disapproval. Then more loudly with a silly lint in her voice, Izabell says, "That is my husband for you. He is cautious, almost to a fault."

"I've noticed that," replies Elsa with a smirk.

"You almost wonder how he ever found the courage to leave Hesperis and to eventually end up with you," adds Anna humorously.

"What?!" exclaims Anton as he is surprised by Anna's comment.

However, the three ladies on the sled begin to laugh and Kristoff just smiles. Then Izabell says, "We all shouldn't be that hard on Anton. I'll admit that sometimes I can be a little too trusting, so Anton sort of acts like my cautionary sense. In return, I try to let him know that the world is full of wonders; and they don't have to be anything to be afraid of."

"I think you have your work cut out for you then," says Anna with a giggle.

In response to this, Izabell just smiles; and Anton just sits quietly stunned. Meanwhile, Elsa covers up a giggle with her hand and a cough. Then Elsa says lightly, "Um Anna, I think you have said enough. Anton and Izabell are guests. So I think we should try to be a little more respectful."

"Oh, Anna's comments are all right," replies Izabell. "I've actually sort of enjoyed them. Anton can be a little too serious at times. It is kind of nice to see him get flustered a bit."

"I can see that this is going to be a long trip," bemoans Anton a little. In response to Anton, everyone laughs.

Finally, once everyone settles down a bit, Elsa says, "Speaking of trips, I was wondering what your plans are for afterwards. I mean, once you have satisfied your curiosity about Goran. You must have some kind of idea in mind."

"We had thought, if the weather wasn't too bad, that we might attempt to travel back to Weselton," replies Anton.

"However, we lost our horses and our sled was damaged," adds Izabell. "So we can't leave like we originally thought."

"We will just have to find a place here in Arendelle to stay until we can figure out a solution," says Anton.

"You would be more than welcome to stay at the palace until you figure things out," offers Elsa. "It is the least that I can do for such dignitaries as you."

"Thank you, your majesty. You have been very gracious to us with your hospitality," replies Izabell.

"However, we don't want to overstay our welcome," quickly interjects Anton. He is still very uncertain about the character of the queen. Anton is also worried about Izabell revealing too much. "Perhaps it would be better if we found accommodations somewhere else in Arendelle."

However, because of Anton's suggestion, Izabell gives her husband a quick jab to his side with her elbow. Then Izabell glares at him sternly. As for Anton, he is startled by Izabell's reaction. Then when Anton looks over to his wife, his eyes meet hers glaring at him. This leaves Anton with almost a sense of helplessness.

As for Elsa, she is first surprised by Anton's response. However, as Elsa witnesses how Izabell reacts to Anton, a slight smile appears on her face. "I won't stop you if you want to look for another place to stay, Anton," says Elsa with a smile. "However, you will miss out on the hospitality of the palace. Plus, I don't think Izabell thinks too highly of your suggestion."

"I'm sorry, your majesty. Anton is usually better behaved than this," replies Izabell. "Yet, your offer of accommodation is greatly appreciated. Still, Anton may have a point. We may be stuck here in Arendelle until the spring. So perhaps we should try and find a place to stay where we won't be taking advantage of your hospitality."

"I will accept whatever decision you have," says Elsa. "However, you don't have to be worried about overstaying your welcome. The palace is more than capable of taking care of several people for an extended period of time. So if you stay, I'm sure that you would hardly be noticed."

"Thank you, your majesty. We appreciate your offer, but…," replies Anton.

""But we will accept your offer to stay at the palace," interrupts Izabell. As Izabell interrupts, Anton looks over to his wife in stunned silence. Then Izabell looks over to Anton and says, "At the moment we are at loose ends, Anton. So having a confirmed place to stay would be a welcomed relief. However, once our situation has settled down, we can then consider finding other arrangements. Still, I don't see anything wrong with our current circumstances. So I am more than willing to accept Elsa's continued hospitality."

For a moment, Anton has a slight look of protest. However, he quickly realizes that Izabell is very certain about this course of action. Plus, Anton can not think of an effective reason not to continue their stay at the palace. So finally Anton relents and says, "All right, I guess there is no real harm if we continue to rely on the kindness of the queen and her subjects."

"Good, I am glad that have come to an agreed to solution," says Elsa. "I will make sure that your stay is as pleasant as possible."

"You can even come to the Christmas Eve gathering tomorrow!" chirps Olaf. "All of Elsa's closest friends and family will be there to celebrate Christmas! It will be a great time to have a little fun."

"Um…, sure, Anna and I will be having a private celebration to honor the season," adds Elsa. "Normally on Christmas day, the whole village of Arendelle has a Christmas celebration. So we like to have a more private celebration on Christmas Eve. So since you both are here, you are welcome to celebrate Christmas with us tomorrow."

"Thank you, it would be a pleasure, your majesty," replies Izabell.

"But Elsa!" then exclaims a worried Anna.

However, before Anna can say anything else, Elsa interrupts her. "I know what you are thinking, Anna," says Elsa. "There is not much that Izabell and Anton can do right now. So it would not be right if we weren't hospitable to them."

"I know, Elsa; but what about… um…, you know. The other thing with the… um…, gentleman friend of ours," stammers Anna as she tries to talk about Kristian without talking about Kristian.

"We can manage," replies Elsa. "Besides, we have already made plans. So rest assured that our gentleman friend is going to be well taken care of."

"Excuse me, but is our presence causing you some complications?" asks Izabell.

"Only a slight inconvenience," replies Elsa. "However it is something we have already taken care of. So you need not concern yourself." Then Elsa turns her attention to Anna. "However Anna, what I really think you should be worried about is your Christmas gift for Kristoff."

"I'm not worried about that," says Anna. "I've been making sure that I got the perfect gift for Kristoff. I've been planning it for several weeks."

"You have?" asks Kristoff as he is beginning to feel uneasy about what Anna might have gotten him.

"Of course," replies Anna with a smile. "I know you think that I might be going overboard on the gift, but don't worry. I'm not expecting you to get a fabulous gift for me. I'm sure that whatever gift that you got me is going to be perfect."

Um…, sure, it is going to be perfect," says Kristoff awkwardly. This is because Kristoff had totally forgotten to get Anna a gift, and now Kristoff has less than a day to try and find something that he can give Anna.

Anyway, at this moment, Sven has managed to pull the sled into sight of Goran's tomb. Unfortunately, Kristian had not left the interior of the cave yet. So the horse that he rode up on was still tied up outside the cave.

"Oh no, Kristian is still here," quietly says Anna to Kristoff. "Kristoff, why did you bring us up here so quickly?"

"Hey, no one told me that I needed to get up here slowly," replies Kristoff quietly. "I thought that you might want to get this trip over with, so Sven and I were pushing our speed a little bit."

Just then Kristian can be seen coming out of the cave. As Kristian comes out of the cave, he turns and locks the gate behind him. Now it is at this time that Olaf sees him. "Hey, there is Kristian!" exclaims Olaf. "Hi, Kristian!" shouts Olaf as he waves to one of his newest friends.

"Kristian," quietly says a worried Elsa as she looks out at her fire prince.

Meanwhile, after hearing Olaf shout, Kristian stops and notices the sled approaching. With Elsa and the others now in Kristian's sight, he becomes motionless as his body stiffens. This is because Kristian realizes that he has not taken care of things quick enough. Now he is almost caught red handed exiting out of Goran's tomb.

Finally the sled slowly comes to a full stop in front of Kristian. "Hi, Kristian!" exclaims Olaf as he waves and then climbs out of the sled. "Hey, Kristian, can you hear me?" Also while Olaf is talking to Kristian, Kristoff has climbed down and offers a helping hand to Anna.

"Um…, sure Olaf, hi," replies a slightly uneasy Kristian. "I wasn't expecting to see you up here so soon."

"It was a good day for a sleigh ride," chirps Olaf. "Also Sven enjoys his trips through the snow. So it is hard to slow someone down when they enjoy what they do."

"I'm sorry that we got here so quickly, Kristian," then says Elsa as she is helped down from the sleigh by Kristoff. "I hope we haven't showed up too soon."

"I ah… managed to get everything taken care of," replies Kristian as he tries to keep from saying too much.

"What was it that you were taking care of?" then asks Izabell as Anton helps her off of the sleigh.

For a moment, Kristian doesn't know what to say; and he looks over to Elsa for some sort of help. However, Elsa does not know what to say either. Then Izabell speaks up. "I was told that you were doing an errand for Elsa. Since you are here, I take it that your errand had something to do with Goran and his things?"

"Um… yah," replies Kristian as he quickly develops a thought. "I was sent up to lay out Goran's things for you. Since no one had bothered to go through his pack before today."

"Did you leave all of Goran's things behind?" asks Anton suspiciously.

"Sure I did," replies Kristian. "You've caught me just coming out of his tomb. You can search me if you want. You can even check out my horse."

"That won't be necessary," interrupts Izabell as she tries to take control of the situation. "I'm sure that we will find everything inside. Besides, if something is missing, we know several people who might know something about it."

"Izabell, are you sure?" asks Anton as he places his hand on her shoulder,

"I'm quite sure," replies Izabell. "I have faith in Elsa and her friends."

"Well, if the both of you are satisfied, then maybe we should continue on," suggests Elsa as she wants to avoid escalating this encounter.

Izabell then looks sternly at Anton. Then after a moment of silent disapproval, Anton nods his head in agreement. So with Anton in agreement, Izabell turns towards Elsa and says, "Yes, we are both ready. So, why don't we all proceed with what we came here to do?"

"Great, then follow me!" chirps Olaf as hops off towards the cave entrance.

With Olaf leading the way, Elsa and Anna follow behind him. Then after them follow Izabell and Anton. Meanwhile, Kristoff and Kristian are going to remain outside. So while the others begin to head towards the cave entrance, Kristian looks over to Kristoff. It is when Kristian looks over at the ice harvester that he can see a worried look on Kristoff's face. So Kristian walks over to him.

"Hey Kristoff, you look a little worried there," says Kristian. "However, I don't think you really shouldn't be. I'm sure there is nothing for us to be worried about."

"Are you kidding? I think there is plenty to be worried about," replies Kristoff.

"Hey, I just went through all of Goran's things. So there is nothing in there that Anton and Izabell can find that should connect Goran to me," says Kristian.

"It's not what Izabell and Anton will find that I'm concerned about," replies Kristoff. "What I am worried about is what am I going to find?"

"What are you going to find?" replies a puzzled Kristian. "What are you talking about?"

"Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. It is the day that Anna and Elsa exchange gifts with one another, and I haven't even found Anna a gift yet!" exclaims Kristoff. "There is almost no time left to find anything! So, what am I going to do?"

"You really are in a tough position, aren't you," replies Kristian. "Yet, I'm sure Anna wouldn't mind receiving a very simple gift from you. Maybe you have something at your home that you could give to Anna as a gift?"

"I'm an ice merchant and a bachelor!" exclaims Kristoff. "I live simply and most of my things are nearly all work related. Other that giving Anna my first set of ice tongs, I've got nothing!"

"Now take it easy, Kristoff," replies Kristian as he tries to calm Kristoff down. "I think I might have something that you could give to Anna as a present."

"You do? What is it?" asks Kristoff hopefully.

"It is a piece of jewelry," replies Kristian. "You can look at it and see if it is something that you would care to give to her."

"Thanks, any piece of jewelry would be better than anything that I've got," says Kristoff who is feeling somewhat relieved. "You're my life saver."

"Some lifesaving," replies a slightly amused Kristian. "I'm sure you would have found something on your own. Still, when you and the others are done up here, come see me. Then we can head to my room, and I will show it to you then." With this said Kristian gives a wave bye to Kristoff and begins to head back towards his horse.


	16. Chapter 16

(OK, sometimes I feel like I should apologies for bothering people with my stories. However, I will always fall back to the position of if they don't like them then they don't have to read them. As for this one, I think it has gone kind of flat. This is mostly an emotional journey. There is not much action in it.

As for Anton, I will be the first one to admit that his character needs work. I put him in the story for two reasons. First he shows that Izabell's life has moved on after the lose of her family. Secondly, Anton is there to keep Izabell enthusiasm in check. Otherwise, Izabell's eagerness would end the story rather quickly.

Now the main principal around Anton's character is his devotion to Izabell. Because of this, Anton feels he needs to be a defensive shield to protect her. Of course the biggest threat that Anton sees is Elsa. So he is reluctant to put down his defenses for he wants to be prepared if anything happens. Of course I would like to show a slow progression of Anton's acceptance of Elsa. However, I am finding that really hard to do.

Of course, I have been spending too much time on fragments of ideas. They always seem to end up being longer than I thought that they would be. I could have easily left out 2/3's of them without hurting the story.)

* * *

Now while Kristian and Kristoff were talking, the others were waiting to enter Goran's tomb. This is because they have to wait for Elsa to unlock the gate. So once the gate was open, they all begin to head in. However, while waiting, Izabell looks over to Kristian. So as the others enter the cave, Izabell and Anton remain outside.

Izabell, are you coming," asks Anton as he realizes that Izabell's attention is not on the open gate.

"What? Oh, sorry," replies Izabell. "Go on in without me. I think I will have a word with Kristian before he leaves."

"Are you sure about this?" asks Anton. "Perhaps it would be better if I go with you. We don't know much about Kristian yet, and we already know that he is capable of betrayal. Since we know he betrayed Goran."

"I'll be fine," replies Izabell as she tries to reassure Anton. "Besides, I would prefer to talk to him alone. Since you are acting a little too, how should I say it…, too paranoid lately."

"Paranoid!" exclaims Anton out of surprise. "I think I have been acting appropriately, considering our circumstances."

Perhaps you are, but you have been making everyone tense around here," replies Izabell. "And I would rather discuss things with Kristian in a more relaxed fashion. So, just go on without me. I will follow after you shortly."

"If that is what you want, but don't be too long about it," says Anton. "Otherwise I will come looking for you."

"I hope that you do," replies Izabell with a smile. "However, don't worry. I will keep this brief."

So with an affirmative nod, Anton agrees with Izabell and turns and heads into Goran's tomb. Then with Anton gone, Izabell turns and walks over to Kristian as he was getting ready to mount his horse.

"Hello Kristian," says Izabell as she approaches.

"Oh, hi Izabell," replies Kristian as he turns around to see who it was that greeted him. "Is there something that I can do for you?"

"I was just wondering if I could talk with you for a moment," says Izabell.

"Um…, sure, but didn't you come up here to examine Goran's things?" asks Kristian.

"I sure there will be time to do that as well," replies Izabell. "However, I thought that it would be a good idea to talk to you about Goran."

"OK?" says a puzzled and slightly concerned Kristian. "I'm… not sure what I will be able to tell you?"

"Well…, from what I understand, you showed up roughly at the same time as Goran did," replies Izabell. "So I am surprised that Elsa has put so much trust in you in such a very short amount of time. I mean she trusts you enough to have you come up here all on your own."

"There is no real mystery about that," says Kristian as he tries to lessen his importance in Goran's life. "I helped Elsa with Goran when he showed up in Arendelle. After that, our relationship has just grown stronger."

"Yes, you must have developed a strong relationship with the queen," replies Izabell. "Especially since she has allowed you access to such a unique man."

"Unique? Yah, I would say that Goran is unique," says Kristian as he looks over to the entrance to the cave. "You don't run into individuals like him every day."

For a moment, Izabell looks over to the cave; but she quickly looks back at Kristian. While looking at Kristian, Izabell can sense some sort of feeling coming out of him. However, she is uncertain what that feeling might be. "You must have come up here quite a few times," says Izabell calmly and sympathetically.

"A few," replies Kristian. "Usually when I need to work something out. It's quiet up here."

"I'm sure the trip up here gives you time to think as well," says Izabell calmly. "I bet traveling with Goran wasn't quite as nice of a trip. In fact, I doubt that he was the easiest person for you to get along with at any point."

"You don't know the half of it," replies Kristian without thinking. "Goran made my life difficult."

Just then, Kristian realizes what he had said. So he quickly looks over to Izabell with some slight fear. This is because Kristian wants to see if Izabell might have caught onto what he had said. However, Izabell already knew.

"I already know," replies Izabell calmly.

"How do you…, or what do you know?" asks a worried Kristian.

"Well, Anton heard that you actually came to Arendelle with Goran; and by what you just said, you confirmed that story," replies Izabell calmly and politely.

"Aren't you upset?" asks Kristian as he is puzzled by the lack of reaction from Izabell.

"Upset, why would I be upset?" asks Izabell as she is a little surprised by Kristian's remark. "I came here looking for answers about Goran. Originally, I had hoped to find some answers in the items that he left behind. However, now I don't have to rely on just those artifacts. I have you here, and you have spent time with the man."

"From what I understood, I thought you would have been angry with me because of the loss of your family," replies Kristian.

"Angry?" says Izabell with some surprise. "I am sad about what had happened to my family, not angry. Yet right now, I am hopeful that you might be able to tell me something useful."

I really don't know what I can tell you that you would consider useful," replies Kristian as he is still somewhat puzzled by Izabell's reaction.

"Well, for starters, you could tell me about Goran," says Izabell. "Like, what sort of man was he?"

"Well…, he was a hard man," replies Kristian. "When I lived with him, Goran demanded a lot from me. Of course I didn't know of any other ways that I could live my life. So I took everything that he dealt me the best that I could."

"Goran sounds like he was a cruel man," says Izabell as she is feeling down about what she is hearing.

"Goran was more demanding than cruel," replies Kristian. "However, Goran was mostly concerned with his own importance. As long as you understood that, you could get along with him just fine. Yet, I will say this much for Goran, he did teach me how to survive and live on my own."

"I guess in your eyes, Goran wasn't all that bad of a person," comments Izabell hopefully.

"In some ways, no, he wasn't all that bad," replies Kristian. "Goran did do a lot for me. However, he also took a lot away. The most important thing he that he took away was my family."

"So is that why you turned against Goran? He destroyed your family?" asks Izabell as she dislikes this idea of Goran dispatching anybody.

"No, I turned against Goran because I took a liking to Elsa and to her friends," replies Kristian. "However, all I really wanted to do was to make Goran abandon his mission of destroying Elsa. Then we both could have left Arendelle with no one knowing we were even there to harm her."

"Goran refused to leave then," quietly says Izabell.

"He was set on his course," replies Kristian. "So, Goran forced me to make a difficult decision to help defend Arendelle. It was during the defense of the village that I learned of what Goran had done to my family."

OK, but I am still having a little trouble understanding something," says Izabell.

"And that would be what?" asks Kristian.

"Well with everything that Goran had done to you and his hostility towards Elsa, why is what remains of him kept up here?" asks Izabell. "I would have thought Elsa would of simply dispose of his body. Not give him a memorial tomb."

"Um…, Elsa did this out of respect for me," replies Kristian with some uncertainty. This is because Kristian doesn't know how Izabell will react to this information.

"She did all this for you?" questions Izabell.

"I, ah…, couldn't bring myself to completely destroy Goran," uneasily replies Kristian. "I hope you don't take this poorly but Goran was almost family to me. Of course I hated what he did, but…" Now Kristian stops talking because he just couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

However, after a brief pause, Izabell does finish the sentence. "But you still loved him," says Izabell.

In response to this comment, Kristian looks at Izabell with uncertainty. The last thing he wants to do is to say the wrong thing. However, Izabell notices the puzzled look on Kristian's face. So she tries to put Kristian's mind at ease. "It's all right. I don't think that love is such a bad feeling to have," says Izabell. "It shows that you care. The fact that Elsa was willing to bring Goran up here also shows that she cares about you."

"I really don't get you?" says Kristian. "Here is a guy that could have possibly destroyed your family, and I was his companion. I would have thought that you should hate me. Yet, here you are, treating me like you are actually concerned about how I am feeling."

Well…, um…, yes," replies Izabell uncertain about how to respond. Izabell realizes that Kristian might be sympathetic towards her about finding her brother. Yet, how can Izabell tell the suitor to the Snow Queen that she is looking for her brother who just happens to control fire with magic? "Things are not exactly what they seem," continues Izabell. "My, um, anger is not really directed at the person that took my family from me. My only concern is to try and find them, hopefully. If that is not possible, than at least I could learn about their fate."

"I'm amazed that you feel the way that you do," says Kristian. "Actually, Elsa and I were concerned that you might react negatively to my association with Goran. So we had hoped to keep it a secret."

"At least now I know why Queen Elsa has been acting a little strange during some of our conversations," replies Izabell with a smile. "Now that your secret is out, I'm sure Elsa will feel more at ease around me."

"Um…, yah, my secret is out," replies Kristian a little awkwardly. This is because, Kristian knows that his magical abilities are not yet known to Izabell and Anton.

Then all of a sudden, Olaf can be heard calling from just outside the entrance of Goran's tomb. "Hey Izabell, are you coming?"

"I'll be there in a moment!" replies Izabell. Then turning back to Kristian, she says, "Thank you for being honest with me. If Goran is the man that I hope he is, I would like to talk to you again."

"Um…, sure, you know where to find me," responds Kristian as he waves awkwardly to Izabell as she walks away.

* * *

Meanwhile in the cave, Elsa and Anna have come to a stop near the center of the room. As a result, Anton stops right behind the sisters. "Well, here we are," says Anna with a slight discomfort in her voice.

"Is everything all right in here?" asks Anton as he hears the uneasiness in Anna's voice. "You sound nervous."

"Oh sure, everything is fine," replies Anna as she forces herself to smile. "I just always feel uneasy when I come up here."

"Honestly, there is nothing up here to be worried about," adds Elsa. "Yet, I won't deny that I don't feel all that comfortable coming into this place either."

"This place just brings back some unpleasant memories," says Anna.

"Of course, your battle with Goran," replies Anton.

"Yes, the fight with him was intense," says Elsa. "So the effects still tend to linger emotionally. However, we are here to help you and Izabell." Then Elsa looks around and sees that Izabell is not in the cave with them. "So, where is Izabell?" then asks Elsa.

"She is outside, yet," replies Anton. "Izabell just wanted to have a quick word with Kristian."

"Izabell really is focused on trying to find out if she knows Kristian from somewhere," comments Elsa.

"Do you think it is possible that she and Kristian might have crossed paths somewhere?" asks Anna.

"Who knows?" replies Elsa. "Kristian did move around a lot as a kid. So it is possible."

While Anna and Elsa were talking to each other, Anton notices Goran standing in his small cove in the back of the cave. So Anton walks over and looks through the clear ice at Goran's body. Anna and Elsa notice this. So they follow behind him.

After a moment of looking at Goran, Anton says, "So, is this Goran then?"

"Yes, this is Goran," replies Elsa. "Here in the flesh, sort of."

"He looks like a very unpleasant man, almost a true monster," comments Anton.

"Brrr, just looking at him gives me the willies," says Anna. "I would hate to think of what he might do to us today, if he was capable of doing anything."

"I'm sure it wouldn't be pleasant," adds Elsa. "We had enough trouble with Goran the first time."

"I almost hope that we don't find our answers here," says Anton quietly.

However, Anton did not say it softly enough. Elsa and Anna are just able to hear what he said. "Excuse me? Did you say that you didn't want to find answers?" asks Elsa.

"I thought you wanted to find out what happened to Izabell's family?" adds Anna.

Um…, you miss understand. I do want to find out what happened," replies Anton as he feels uneasy about what he had said. "However, I am afraid if this is the man, the answers that Izabell and I are going to find will be tragic. I'm worried about how Izabell will respond to such a vile individual."

Well, it is too late to do anything about it now," says Anna. "We are already here."

"Yes, the best that we can hope for is to make this discovery as easy as possible," adds Elsa. "We will also need to be there for Izabell, in case she needs our moral support."

"Your support and sympathy will be greatly appreciated," replies Anton. "Yet, what you have all done for Izabell and me is something that I was not expecting from you, Elsa."

"I don't understand?" questions Elsa. "I have only done what is my duty to do as the ruler of Arendelle. I know it has been difficult at times, but it is my responsibility to make sure that everyone is treated fairly."

"That is what I don't get about you," replies Anton. "It is everything that you have done. I've been out in the village of Arendelle, and I didn't run into anyone that didn't respect you with great admiration."

"Why wouldn't they? Elsa has done a lot to help the people of Arendelle out," says Anna.

"Yes, but it is not just the people of Arendelle that Elsa has been helping," continues Anton. "Ever since Izabell and I have showed up here, Queen Elsa has been going out of her way to see to our needs, including our desire to come here to see Goran."

"I don't know why that would surprise you," replies Elsa. "I was only trying to be hospitable. Besides, you and Izabell were in need of assistance. It wouldn't have been fair if I didn't at least offer the both of you some help."

"OK, so maybe I can accept this compassionate nature of yours as who you truly are," says Anton. "However, what I can't comprehend is how that compassion has extended all the way to this man." As Anton says this, he points in the direction of Goran.

After look over at Goran again, Elsa turns back towards Anton and says, "I really haven't done anything special for Goran. In a way, all that I have done is place him into storage. So there isn't any real compassion involved in what I have done for Goran."

"Are you kidding? Have you even looked at what you have done here?" replies Anton. "This place is immaculate! If you really didn't care about Goran, you would have simply shoved him into a dark hole in a wall and sealed it up forever!"

"Well he is in a cave, and Goran is placed into a hole in the back of the cave," says Anna. "The hole is even covered over with ice sealing him in."

"This is not exactly the same," replies Anton. "I was talking about totally getting rid of the man. In fact, I'm surprised that you didn't let the heat of summer make him disappear for good. Instead, you have Goran displayed like someone of significance."

"He was someone of significance," interjects Elsa. "Every person plays some kind of role in life, and Goran's role greatly affected the way my life has turned out."

"You're talking about Kristian aren't you?" inquires Anton.

"Ah…, well…, um…, I guess, yes, I am," replies Elsa as she feels uneasy. Right now, Elsa is feeling uncomfortable admitting that Goran's arrival meant the arrival of Kristian. Of course this was also the beginning of Elsa's relationship with Kristian as well. "Kristian came to my aid when Goran assaulted me in Arendelle," says Elsa.

"Hey, there is really nothing to Goran causing Elsa to meet Kristian," quickly adds Anna. "Goran's visit just created a situation where they both were able to get together. I, for one, am happy for my sister. Because Kristian has become a real close friend to her, and Kristian has become a good friend to me as well."

"Kristian has become a good friend to everyone in Arendelle," adds Elsa.

"While I do find Kristian's presence here in Arendelle interesting, I am more focused on Goran right now," responds Anton.

"Of course, and we are here for another reason," says Elsa as she motions for Anton to head over to the stone table. Then as she, Anna, and Anton walk over to the table; Elsa says, "I believe that Kristian has already laid out all of Goran's things for us."

Once they reach the table, they all stop and look down at the items. However before anyone can say anything, Izabell and Olaf come walking into the cave. "Hi everyone!" chirps Olaf. "Izabell and I are finally here!"

Now Izabell enters right behind Olaf and her attention is quickly drawn to everyone gathered around the table. "I'm sorry about the delay," adds Izabell as she nervously enters the room. This is because this room represents possible answers, either good or bad. "However, since Kristian was here, I thought it would be a good time to have a brief word with him."

"Did you find out about how you might know Kristian?" asks Elsa.

"I was more interested about what Kristian might know about Goran," replies Izabell.

"I'm not sure what Kristian could possibly tell you that you might consider useful," says Elsa as she feels a little uncomfortable about the situation.

"Kristian was able to tell me some things about Goran that I'm sure that you couldn't, your majesty," replies Izabell.

"Why would you think that?" quickly asks Anna as she is worried about the answer.

"A better question is what actually did Kristian say?" adds Elsa who tries to be more prudent. After all, Izabell had already talked with Kristian outside.

"Kristian was able to tell me something about the man's character," replies Izabell somewhat somberly. ""Of course, that wasn't too difficult for him to do. Particularly since Kristian was raised by the man in question."

With Izabell's revelation of her knowledge of Kristian's relationship with Goran, the others in the room stand quietly stunned. Finally, Anton exclaims, "Izabell!"

"It is all right, Anton," replies Izabell as she tries to calm Anton down. "Kristian has told me why they all have been keeping his relationship with Goran a secret. They were worried about upsetting us because of the history of my family."

"And there is nothing else?" exclaims Anton. "There has to be something else with the way they all have been acting."

"The way we were acting?" exclaims Anna in reply. "What about the way you were acting, talking about fire demons and monsters? Kristian is a friend of ours, and we didn't want you to go all revengeful renegade on us!"

"Revengeful renegade? My only concern was Izabell," replies Anton. "I just don't want her to be hurt, by either Elsa or the information we learn about Izabell's family."

"I would never hurt anyone deliberately," responds Elsa to Anton's comments.

"Well, what about what you did to Goran?" inquires Anton.

"He left me no choice," replies Elsa. "I gave Goran every opportunity to live in peace with me, but he refused."

"I know it wasn't your fault," says Izabell sympathetically. "Kristian told me how hard of a man Goran was. As I understand it, he would have never accepted your proposal."

"Yes, Goran was intractable," replies Elsa. "However, you are surprising me, Izabell. I thought you would have been upset or even angry with us. I especially thought that you would be angry with Kristian."

"Kristian told me the same thing," responds Izabell. "However, I did not come here seeking some kind of revenge. I came here looking for some information; and in that regard, Kristian is almost a blessing. He was able to provide me some detail about Goran that I did not anticipate finding here."

"If I would have known that you were going to take it this well, I would have told you," says Elsa.

"Well, at least now it is out in the open," replies Izabell. "Hopefully now we can get past all of the tension that has been persisting, especially between you and Anton."

"What?" exclaims Anton. "I thought I was keeping myself rather subtle in my behavior."

"Sure you were subtle, subtle as a thunderstorm," replies Anna with a smile.

"I'm afraid that we all were acting a little nervous around each other," adds Elsa.

"What's there to be nervous about?" then chirps Olaf. "I think it has been a wonderful day! We just had a wonderful sleigh ride with some new friends, and we are all doing it to help Izabell."

"Speaking of which, are these the items that Goran left behind?" asks Izabell apprehensively.

"Yes, these are the things that Goran brought with him," replies Elsa as she glances over at the items on the table.

After a moment of scanning the items on the table, Izabell says with some disappointment, "Is this all that Goran brought with him?"

"This was all that he was carrying," replies Elsa with some slight concern. What Elsa said was accurate. However there was always Kristian, and thinking of him makes Elsa feel uneasy.

"Izabell, you couldn't expect Goran to carry much with him," adds Anton. "He didn't come here on a diplomatic mission. Goran came here on a sinister one."

In response, Izabell nods somberly as she looks back down at the displayed items. Meanwhile, Anton places his arm around Izabell waist to try and provide some comfort to his wife. As for everyone else, they look on quietly as Izabell continues to examine the artifacts. Finally, Izabell stops her scan and reaches down to touch the decorative knife.

"Do you recognize something?" asks Anna.

"No," quietly replies Izabell. "It's just this knife seems to be out of place." So now Izabell quietly examines the knife for a moment and her gaze goes down to the sheath. On the sheath she finds the marks engraved on it. "There is a fresh burn mark on this sheath," comments Izabell.

"Are you sure it is a fresh burn? Goran did have the ability to create fires," responds Elsa.

Now Anton leans over the table and takes a sniff of the air. Then he says, "Yes, it is a fresh burn. I'd say that it was done some time today. It'd had to be Kristian.

"Why would Kristian do something like that?" asks Anna awkwardly. This is because Anna knows fully well why Kristian might have deliberately burned the sheath.

"Because he was trying to hide something from us," replies Anton suspiciously.

"And we know what he was trying to hide, Anton," responds Izabell with some rebuke. "Obviously, the burn is meant to cover up a mark. I'm guessing that mark had something to do with Kristian."

"Please don't be too upset," interjects Elsa. "I was concerned with how both of you would react to Kristian's association with Goran. So I had sent him up here to remove anything that could possibly lead you back to Kristian."

"With how Anton has been behaving himself, it doesn't surprise me that you would try and keep it hidden," replies Izabell.

"You know I felt we had to be careful," interjects Anton. "With how the Duke of Weselton was talking, we couldn't afford to take any chances."

"The Duke of Weselton, why is it that every time he gets involved with Arendelle things end up going poorly for us?" ponders Anna.

"I'm afraid the Duke is prejudiced against me," replies Elsa. "So I'm sure he would have talked poorly about me. However, I hope that the time you have spent with us has shown you that I am not the monster that the Duke has made me out to be."

"No, you are not what the Duke has made you out to be," says Anton. "However, you are a queen and that alone means you need to be respected."

"At least that is a start," replies Elsa with a smile. "I hope in time that you may someday consider me a friend."

"I already do," interjects Izabell. "Everything that you have done for us tells me that you are a friend. I only wish that you were able to do more for me."

"May I ask, what you wish I could do for you?" asks Elsa.

"Well…, what I am looking for is not on the table here," says Izabell. "Is there anything else that Goran might have brought with him?"

"No, I'm afraid this is everything," replies Elsa.

"Hey! Goran did bring Kristian with him, and Kristian did have his own pack," chirps Olaf.

"Well…, um…, sure, I guess," replies Elsa awkwardly. "I suppose if you want, um…, we can ask Kristian to show you what he brought along."

"I guess, but I doubt that Goran would have given Kristian anything that I am looking for," responds Izabell. "What about Goran himself? This is his tomb. May I possibly see him?"

"Sure!" chirps Olaf. "He is tucked away along the back wall! Just follow me!" With this Olaf begins to hop away towards were Goran was placed.

It was finally now that Izabell allows herself the opportunity to scan the back wall. Before, Izabell was focused on the table and everyone gathered around it. Izabell barely even breathed and she allowed the distraction of the others to take her mind off of her worries.

However, now Izabell sees Goran and her body becomes rigid. Without taking a breath, Izabell just stands there. However, Izabell does let out a slight gasps as Anton's hand rests gently onto her shoulder.

"It is all right," says Anton as he tries to comfort Izabell. "Just breathe. I will be right here with you."

Anna also come walking up to Izabell and reaches out to offer Izabell her hand. In response, Izabell reaches out and grabs onto Anna's hand. "We are all here for you, Izabell," says Anna. In response, Izabell nods slowly. Then she takes a deep breath and slow begins to walk towards Goran.

So in a few seconds, Izabell finally comes to a stop just in front of Goran. Izabell has one arm tightly wrapped around Anton's arm, while Izabell's other hand clasps Anna's hand.

"Here he is. Goran in the cold flesh," chirps Olaf.

For a moment, Izabell just stands there holding onto both of her escorts. Finally, Izabell allows herself to let go of Anna's hand and then Anton's arm. Then she begins to walk right up front of the clear ice that covers the cove that Goran resides in. Then slowly Izabell reaches a shaking hand up and places it onto the clear ice.

For several seconds, Izabell stands like this looking into the face of Goran. Meanwhile, everyone else stands quietly out of reverence for Izabell. Finally, Izabell speaks. "This feels wrong," she says quietly.

"I know that turning Goran into ice was a harsh thing for me to do, but I couldn't see another option available to me," says Elsa. "Goran just wasn't willing to stop."

"No, that is not what I mean," replies Izabell as she continues to look at Goran.

"I don't understand?" says a puzzled Elsa. "Most people will get disturbed by the negative effects of what my magic is capable of."

"Elsa, I don't like seeing a man in such a state, but that is not what is bothering me the most," replies Izabell. "It's Goran's face."

"His face, what is wrong with his face?" asks Anna.

"It's not fear that I am seeing on his face," replies Izabell. "It looks more like anger, anger to the point of rage."

"Yah, Goran was a very angry man," chirps Olaf. "He was such a meanie that he tried to make Kristian do something he didn't want to do."

"I know, but his face is still wrong," replies Izabell. "I shouldn't be seeing such anger; and his face, it is showing some signs of age on it."

"Well, why wouldn't it?" chirps Olaf. "I would think any middle aged guy's face would be showing some signs of age."

Did you say a guy of middle age?" asks Izabell as she turns to look at Olaf.

"Sure I did!" chirps Olaf. "Goran hadn't turned gray yet, but he wasn't that far off of doing so."

After hearing this statement from Olaf, Izabell turns back towards Goran to look at him. "It's not him," quietly says Izabell as she begins to tear up.

"Goran isn't the man you've been looking for?" inquires Anna.

"No, it is not him," replies Izabell louder.

As Izabell was making this last statement, Anton walks up behind her and place his hands on Izabell's shoulders. As Anton's hands touch her shoulders, Izabell turns around and looks into her husband's face. "Are you sure, Izabell?" asks Anton.

"It's not him!" exclaims Izabell as she quickly wraps her arms around Anton and begins to cry.

"In response, Anton wraps his arms around Izabell and hugs her. "It's all right," says Anton as he tries to comfort Izabell. "We will just have to keep looking. I promise you, we will keep looking."

"Where?!" exclaims Izabell. "This was the only lead that I have ever come across! We don't know where else to look! If there is more than one such man in the world, how many more possible men could there possibly be?!"

"I don't know how or where we will continue, but I promise you that today will not be the end of this," replies Anton. "You are my world. I stood up to my father for you. I braved the gauntlet of your relatives' manipulations. I even risked traveling to Weselton and then to Arendelle in winter all for you. So I don't know what else that I can do to prove that you are the love of my life, and that this set back is only the beginning. We will find a way to move forward. "

In response to Anton, a smile comes to Izabell face as she hugs him tightly. Tears can also be seen rolling down her face. For a few moments, Izabell and Anton stay in their loving embrace. Finally, Izabell and Anton release and take a step back from each other.

"I am sorry that things didn't turn out the way you wanted them too," politely says Elsa. "Is there anything that I may do for you right now?"

"Thank you, your majesty, but all I need right now is some quiet solace," replies Izabell. "I just need a moment to grieve."

"I understand," politely says Elsa. "However, I still want to offer you some help. So I will try to find another man that wields fire, and then I will pass that information to you."

"Thank you," replies Anton. "Any help you can provide on this matter will be greatly appreciated. However, all we need right now is to get away from this place."

"Of course," says Elsa as she makes a gesture for Izabell and Anton to leave the cave.

So in response, Izabell and Anton begin to move towards the entrance of the cave. They are followed by Elsa and the others. Once outside, they all move towards the waiting sleigh and climb on board. Then Sven pulls the sleigh back down to Arendelle, while everyone remains silent for nearly the entire journey.


	17. Chapter 17

(I had hoped to have a little more done before I posted again. However, things kept coming up. However, this chapter looks like it will do for now.)

After leaving Goran's tomb with no results, it takes a few hours for Sven to pull everyone back to Arendelle. By the time they get there, the sun is low on the horizon. Eventually, the sleigh comes to a stop in front of the palace front doors.

Once everyone gets down from the sled, they begin to head into the palace. As they walk, Anton holds onto Izabell to try and comfort her. Just after they enter the palace, Anna says, "Well…, it has been quite a day."

"It certainly was," chirps Olaf. "The sleigh ride up was a delight! However, Goran's tomb was a letdown. It was too bad that Goran wasn't the right Goran for Izabell."

"Um…, yes," replies Elsa as she dislikes the way Olaf is talking about Izabell's anguish. "Still, we will be able to move forward from this point."

"Of course we will move forward," adds Anna. "The royal library archives have many documented events stored away. Perhaps we can find something there that can lead us in the right direction."

"There are also some um…, friends that we could ask," offers Elsa. "Kristoff's family is very knowledgeable about magical beings. They may be able to offer us some insight."

"Um…, sure, I can ask them for help," replies Kristoff. "Grand Pabbie knows a lot of things about magic. I'm sure that he can at least lead us in the right direction."

"Thank you for offering to help," responds Anton. "However, tonight we just need to forget about the disappointment of the day."

"I understand, you need some time," says Elsa. "Instead, why don't I offer you an evening meal? I'm sure that we are all hungry, and some hot beverages before the meal will help to warm us up."

"I'm sorry your majesty, but I just don't feel like eating anything right now," replies Izabell. "If you don't mind, I would rather head up to our room. It has been a very disappointing day for me."

"Yes, of course," responds Elsa. "Perhaps a good night's rest will be some benefit to you."

"Thank you," replies Izabell somberly. "I do appreciate everything that you have done. I just wish the effort was more successful."

"As do I, and if you need anything please feel free to ask," says Elsa.

"We will," replies Anton as he begins to escort Izabell back to their room. However, before they leave Elsa's presence, Anton says, "Your majesty, would it be possible to have someone bring up some hot tea to our room and a bit to eat? I'm sure we both may feel like taking a little bit of nourishment later."

"I will let the servants know," replies Elsa. With this said, Izabell and Anton depart.

"That just leaves the four of us then to enjoy a bit to eat!" chirps Olaf.

"It will be five if we invite Kristian," adds Anna.

"Sure, but can you hold up on the meal for a while," interjects Kristoff.

"That shouldn't be a problem, but why do you need a delay?" asks Elsa.

"I just need to take care of something with Kristian. That's all," replies Kristoff. "Once we're done, we will both show up for the meal."

"Will the task take you long?" asks Anna.

"It should only take a few minutes to take care of things," replies Kristoff as he waves goodbye as he leaves.

So in a short while, Kristoff makes his way down to the dungeon. Of course this is where Kristian calls his room at the palace. Anyway, as Kristoff reaches Kristian's room, he knocks on the door.

"It's open!" calls out Kristian. You see at the moment, Kristian is sitting at his desk. This is because Kristian is taking some time to write in his journal. Ever since Kristian has come to Arendelle, he has found that he has a little more free time than he used to. So Kristian has been taking some of that extra time to work on his journal.

"Hey Kristian, it's me," says Kristoff as he walks into the room.

In response, Kristian looks up from his journal and says, "Oh, hi. I see you made it back. Did Izabell and Anton find what they were looking for?"

"Apparently Izabell did find an answer, but it wasn't the answer she wanted," replies Kristoff.

"It wasn't?" says a perplexed Kristian. "I knew there was a chance that Goran might not be the guy. Yet everything that I understood about Goran told me that he might have been the one. He could have possibly destroyed Izabell's family."

"I know what you mean," replies Kristoff. "However, don't forget that we do know of another nasty guy; and his name just happens to be Tollak.

"The guy couldn't have been Tollak," respond Kristian. "Tollak's stone body would have limited his mobility. However, it doesn't mean that Tollak might not have gifted other men besides Goran with magic."

"Hold it right there!" exclaims Kristoff. "I know what you are going to be suggesting next, and I really don't like that idea. The last time we went up to Tollak's place, we barely got out of there by the skin of our teeth."

"It is not something that I am all that fond of either," replies Kristian. "However, if we can't find any other option, we may have to go up there and talk to Tollak."

"Man, I hate boat rides," quietly bemoans Kristoff.

"Who said anything about going by ship?" replies Kristian with a smirk. "The last time, I was in no shape to go with you. However, now I am in perfect health. So this next time, we can travel by a flaming firebird."

"You mean you are going to fly everyone up there with Mattias?" asks Kristoff with some excitement.

"If it comes to it," replies Kristian. "With both Elsa and me working together, we should be able to handle the trip and the talk with Tollak. However, that would still be a last resort move on our part. Talking with Tollak is not something we should consider lightly."

"No it is not something we should take lightly," comments Kristoff. "However, Izabell is not what I can down here to talk about. I came down here for another important matter."

"Oh sure, what was it that you wanted to talk about?" asks Kristian.

"Um, you were going to show me a possible present that I could give to Anna?" says Kristoff. He was a bit surprised that Kristian didn't remember their talk up on the mountain earlier that day.

"Oh, right! Sorry, it sort of slipped my mind," replies Kristian. So now Kristian gets up and moves over to a chest with a stone top. "It's not much, but let me show you what I had in mind," says Kristian as he opens the chest.

Once the chest is open, Kristian reaches in and pulls out a jewelry box. This box used to belong to his mother. Now with the jewelry box in hand, Kristian walks back over to his desk and sets the box down. Then Kristian opens the box and pulls out a simple emerald brooch and shows it to Kristoff.

"Here you go. This is what I had in mind," says Kristian.

Kristoff takes the brooch from Kristian to look at it. Then he says, "This is a nice piece. So is that an actual emerald?"

"Sure, it's an emerald," replies Kristian. "My mother sold off the less valuable pieces to support us, when we were moving around."

"This belonged to your mother?" asks Kristoff. "Are you sure you don't want to keep it, or maybe give it to Elsa instead?"

"Don't worry about it," replies Kristian. "I have always known that I couldn't hold onto it forever. Besides, Anna is a friend of mine, and at least I know who is going to be receiving it."

"True, but are you sure you don't want to give it to Elsa? It would be a fine present for her." asks Kristoff.

I've got something else that I can give Elsa," replies Kristian as he turns around and reaches back into the jewelry box. Once he turns back around to face Kristoff, Kristian has a necklace in his hands. The necklace consists of a white diamond, two blue diamonds, and two red rubies. "This is what I have in mind for Elsa," says Kristian.

"Woah, that's quite a necklace," exclaims Kristoff. "You're really going to surprise Elsa with that little trinket."

"That is what I am going for," replies Kristian with a smile. "Elsa has done so much for me that I wanted to try and show her how important she is."

"You don't need a necklace to show Elsa that," says Kristoff. "Your presence here in Arendelle has been proof enough about how much you care."

"That hardly seems to be enough," replies Kristian. "My presence here in Arendelle doesn't even come close to the way Elsa has changed my life."

"Now just hold it for a moment," exclaims Kristoff. "Your life is not the only one that has changed. Your presence has changed the lives of everyone here in Arendelle, no one's life more than Elsa's. Everything that you think she has done for you, one can say that you have done for Elsa. You were the one that helped Elsa defeat Goran. You were also the one to risk your own life to empower Elsa in the fight against Tollak. Finally, the most important thing of all, there was no other guy that was willing to take the risk of going out with Elsa. So you have given Elsa something that no one else is capable of, a companion of a romantic nature."

"You make me sound also noble," replies Kristian with a slight embarrassed smirk. "So it looks like I have more than Elsa as a friend. I also have you. Thanks for the pep talk."

"Hey, what are buddies for?" says Kristoff.

"So does this mean that I have to get you something too?" says Kristian with a smirk as he places the necklace back into the jewelry box.

"Nah, I think this emerald brooch will do me just fine," replies Kristoff with a smile.

"Good, but before you leave with it, let me spruce it up a bit," says Kristian as he holds his hand out to receive the brooch.

In response, Kristoff hands the brooch back to Kristian. Then Kristian brings his other hand down on top of the brooch. So with the brooch in his hands, Kristian begins to use his magic. It is not fire that Kristian uses but his magic in its purest form. So a reddish glow forms around his hands as Kristian pushes some of his magic into the emerald brooch. Once he is done, Kristian hands the brooch back to Kristoff.

"There you go," says Kristian as he hands the brooch back to Kristoff. "What do you think?"

As Kristoff takes the brooch back, he can see the brooch shining brilliantly. Then as he looks at it, Kristoff notices that the emerald in the brooch almost has a glow to it. "Woah, you got this trinket glowing," exclaims Kristoff. "Anna is definitely going to be surprised when I hand this to her."

"I think all the ladies will be surprised by the gifts that we will be presenting them," adds Kristian.

"There's no denying that, and thanks again for your help," replies Kristoff.

"Sure, I'm glad that you're pleased with the brooch," responds Kristian.

"Yah, now all I need to do is to get this home and get it wrapped," says Kristoff as he starts to turn and leave. Then Kristoff says, "Oh, I just remembered, the girls are waiting for us to join them for dinner. I was supposed to bring you along with me."

"Then I guess that we shouldn't keep them waiting," replies Kristian with a smile.

"Right, so I guess I better put this with Sven for safe keeping, and then I will catch up with you in the dining room," says Kristoff.

"It sounds like a plan to me," replies Kristian.

So with the brooch safely in Kristoff's hands, the two guys proceed on their respective paths. Eventually, they both join Elsa and Anna in the dining room. Once there, they all settle down to enjoy another meal together at the palace. Later, they all enjoy a typical evening together before they all turn in for the night.


	18. Chapter 18

(It is spring, and field planting is taking up a lot of my time. Plus I didn't know where I was going to end this chapter.)

* * *

Next morning, it is Christmas Eve day. As usual, Elsa is up early. She still needs to finish the plans for the Christmas day celebration. As for Anna, she always likes to sleep in. Meanwhile, Kristian and Kristoff take this time in the morning to take care of things in their respective dwellings.

Meanwhile, in the room of Izabell and Anton, Izabell had gotten out of bed and walked over to the window to look out at the village of Arendelle. She stands there looking out the window for a few minutes before Anton begins to stir. As he wakes, the first thing that Anton notices is the fact that Izabell is not in bed.

""Izabell?" asks Anton sleepily as he begins to look around the room. As Anton scans the room, it does not take him long to see Izabell looking back at him.

"Good morning," says Izabell somberly.

"Izabell, are you all right?" asks Anton as he sits up in bed.

"I'm fine," replies Izabell as she displays hardly any emotion.

"Are you sure? You seem a little off," comments Anton as tries to work the sleep out of his body.

"I'm just a little preoccupied. That's all," replies Izabell as she turns to look out the window again.

"Is it bothering you that we didn't find any evidence of your brother here in Arendelle?" asks Anton as he gets up and walks up behind Izabell.

"A little, but I managed to get most of my disappointment out last night," replies Izabell. "Of course it did help to know that Goran was not my brother. I dreaded the idea of having someone as vile as Goran was for a member of my family."

"I'm also relieved that Goran wasn't your brother," adds Anton. "Having such a monster as a brother was going to be bad enough, but having him frozen like that as well should have been intolerable to you."

"Both of those possibilities were very unpleasant thoughts," agrees Izabell. "Yet once I accepted this reality about Goran, I began to think about what might have happened if Kris actually did come here to Arendelle."

"I don't think if he did, the outcome would be anything good," responds Anton as he wraps his arms around Izabell's waist. "Queen Elsa's magic is not exactly compatible with fire. Surely there would have been some sort of bad reaction between the two different magic."

"Perhaps there would have been a bad reaction. Then again, perhaps not," says Izabell.

"Izabell, how can there not be a bad reaction between fire and ice?" questions Anton. "They are complete opposites."

"Yes, but you are forgetting that Elsa offered Goran the opportunity to stay here in Arendelle," replies Izabell. "If she was willing to do that for a man like Goran, certainly she would have done it for my brother."

"I will have to admit, Elsa does seem to be the type of person," comments Anton. "However, I still have to wonder how the queen would make such an arrangement work."

"I'm sure Elsa would have figured something out," replies Izabell. "As I think about it, I really wish that Kris actually had come here. This is such a serene place, and everyone that we have met has been very helpful and friendly."

"You won't get any argument from me on that point," says Anton. "Even Elsa has surprised me on what she has been willing to do."

"I know," replies Izabell. Then Izabell turns around and looks at her husband. "That is why, if it is alright with you, I think we should stay at the palace a little while longer," says Izabell. "That way, we can take advantage of Elsa's help. She did offer to help us look for my brother."

"She offered to help look for a magical fire wielding man," corrects Anton. "Other than that one issue, I see no reason why we can't take the queen up on her offer."

"I'm glad that you see it my way," says a smiling Izabell as she goes and hugs Anton. "And on the subject of my brother, don't you think that it would be easier for Elsa to help us if we told her about Kris?"

"Why don't we wait a couple of days before we say anything?" replies Anton. "Queen Elsa may not be too disturbed by the revelation of your brother. However, tomorrow is Christmas. So if we tell Elsa now, it might put the celebration in disarray."

"Oh very well, Elsa will not be able to help us until after Christmas anyway," agrees Izabell. Then Izabell turns and looks out the window again. "Besides, I would like to see how Arendelle celebrates this holiday," continues Izabell. "With Elsa's magic, I'm sure it is going to be something special."

"I'm sure that it's going to be like nothing we have seen before," adds Anton as he too looks out of their bedroom window.

Eventually, after having spent a little time together, Izabell and Anton get ready and head out into the palace. For the early part of the day, they just try and keep themselves preoccupied. This was not too difficult. There were many things that they had not seen in the palace yet. Of course Olaf had showed up, and he offered to help show them around.

Of course, Izabell graciously accepts the offer. Even Anton agrees without any protest. Anyway, after a short while, Anna is able to join them on their tour. So her presence is able to add a different perspective on the palace. Eventually, the tour even takes them out into the village of Arendelle.

Anyway, in this way, Izabell and Anton are able to waste most of the day. However, by the time the evening meal is served, Izabell and Anton are able to join Elsa and the others at the dining table. After the meal, they all retire to the private quarters of the royal family.

Once there, they all begin to find places to settle down. Both Anna and Elsa take the couch. Meanwhile, Kristoff pulls up a chair alongside the couch. In this way, he can be close to Anna. As for Kristian, he chooses a seat near the hearth of the fireplace. As for Izabell and Anton, they take up a pair of cushion chairs that sit next to each other. These chairs sit close to each other. So Anton is able to reach over to Izabell and hold her hand.

As for Olaf, he walks into the center of everyone. As he does, Olaf says, "Well, here we are! Look at all the pretty presents under the tree. So is it time for us to start opening our presents now?"

"In a moment, Olaf," replies Elsa. "We have guests that we need to see to."

"You don't need to worry about us, Elsa," responds Izabell. "We have been well taken care of. In fact, the meal we just shared with you was most gratifying."

"I'm pleased that you have enjoyed the meal," says Elsa. "However, I do have a regret that I was not prepared to present the both of you with a gift tonight."

"Yes, and my apologies as well; since it is a family tradition of ours to give gifts to each other on Christmas Eve," adds Anna.

"It is not necessary to include us in your family tradition," replies Izabell. "Besides, I consider the hospitality that you have shown us here in Arendelle is enough of a gift."

"Well, it was a mutual gift then," chirps Olaf. "In return we got to be friends with each other."

"Indeed, I would say we have a couple of new friends," adds a smiling Elsa. "And as a friend, I am a little worried about how you are handling yesterday's disappointment."

"I won't deny that I was in a rather poor state, emotionally," replies Izabell. "Yet now I realize that finding no answers to my questions may have been for the best. Since any answer that I might have found would have led me to a difficult reality."

"Well now you and Anton can enjoy Christmas with us!" chirps Olaf. "Christmas is a perfect time to get lost in the happiness and fun of the season."

"Yes, Christmas is all about family, friendship, and caring for each other," adds Anna. "So, tomorrow will be filled with all sorts of delights for the villagers of Arendelle to enjoy. It is a way to help bring the village together."

"Yah, but tonight is just for family," chirps Olaf.

"And invited guests," adds Elsa with a smile.

"So then, can we open the presents now?" asks Olaf excitedly.

"Well…," says Elsa hesitantly as she is uncertain whether they should proceed with the gifts or not. Elsa is also wondering if it might be better to continue the conversation with Izabell. So as Elsa debates with herself on what to do, she looks over to Izabell and Anton.

As Elsa does this, Izabell notices the uncertainty on Elsa's face. So Izabell says, "Oh, go on. It would be alright with us if you open presents. Besides, I am a little curious myself on what might be inside the wrapped gifts."

So Elsa smiles and lets out a slight sigh. "Very well, we can begin the gift exchange," says Elsa as she stands up and begins to walk over to the Christmas tree.

"Yippy!" exclaims Olaf as he begins to jump around with excitement and delight.

"Alright Olaf, just settle down," says Anna with amusement. Then she too gets up and heads towards the tree. "If you are not careful, you might accidentally break something."

"Break what? I'm standing in the middle of the room," replies Olaf.

Then Anna turns towards Elsa and says, "Let's start with the guys first. I don't think Olaf will be able to wait very long."

"I was thinking the same thing," replies Elsa with a smile.

So now both Anna and Elsa each pick up a gift. Anna takes her gift over to Olaf and hands it to him. "Here you go, Olaf," says Anna as she hands the present to the snowman.

"Oh boy!" exclaims Olaf. "I wonder what it might be. Maybe it is a puppy! No, there are no air holes in it. Perhaps it is a sled!"

"If it is, Olaf, it would be a very small sled," replies Kristian sarcastically.

"You're right. It is too small for a sled," comments Olaf. "It is big enough for a pair of ice skates."

"You don't need ice skates," comments Kristoff with a smile. "The way you can glide around the ice, people already think you have skates on."

"What can I say? I have a natural affinity to anything that is on the cool side," replies a smiling Olaf. Then Olaf looks back at his present. "Well if it isn't a puppy, a sled, or even a pair of ice skates; then what could be in this beautifully wrapped box?" ponders Olaf aloud.

"Olaf, there is an easy answer to that question," says Anna with a smile. "It is your Christmas present. All you need to do is open it up and then you will see precisely what your present is."

"Gee, that is a splendid idea!" exclaims Olaf as he begins to open the present. It takes Olaf a few seconds to tear the paper away from the outside of the gift. Once the wrapping was removed, a red velvet box is revealed. "Oh, it is a pretty box!" exclaims Olaf. "I've always wanted a beautiful box!"

"Open it up, Olaf," says Anna as she giggles at Olaf's reaction.

So Olaf does open the velvet box. The item that Olaf sees in the box is a round medallion attached to a ribbon. "Oh, it is a necklace!" exclaims Olaf.

"It is not just a necklace, Olaf," says Elsa amusingly. "It is my insignia, and thus the insignia of Arendelle."

"So it is an Arendelle necklace," replies Olaf. "Say, don't Kristoff and Kristian both have one of these too?"

"Yes they do," says a smiling Elsa. "By having them, they become official members of the royal court of Arendelle. That is why I am giving this medallion to you. With this, you too are now an official member of the royal court. So it is my honor to make you the official snowman greeter for Arendelle." As Elsa says this, she takes the medallion from Olaf and places it around his neck.

"I don't think I can get any happier than I am right now," says Olaf as his cheeks start to become bright red. As his cheeks turn read, a few drops of water begin to drop from his cheeks.

Careful Olaf, you might accidentally melt yourself from the inside," says Kristian sarcastically as he notices the water dripping.

"Don't worried about me," chirps a happy Olaf. "When it comes to being cool, I'm as cool as an ice cube."

Now with Olaf's present taken care of, Elsa then takes her wrapped gift over to Kristian. "Here you go," says Elsa as she hands the present over to her fire prince. "I think this gift will suit you very well."

Kristian takes the present from Elsa and unwraps the box. Inside this box, Kristian finds a new pair of leather gloves. "Gloves," says Kristian with some surprise.

"Yes, I thought you could use a set of dress gloves," replies Elsa with a smile. "They are made from the finest leather that anyone can find. I even made sure that the lining was made especially for you. That way they should have years of life."

"I see you have embedded your mark into the cuff of the gloves as well," says Kristian as he examines the pair of gloves. As he does, Kristian is able to see a design of snowflakes going around the cuff of each glove.

"I suppose that I could have given you a pair of plain gloves, but I thought the design would just dress them up more," replies Elsa. "Besides, the markings help to show your status her in Arendelle."

These are definitely the finest gloves that I have ever owned," says Kristian with a smile. "Thanks, you are almost getting to know me too well."

"I hope in the time to come, I get to know you even better," replies Elsa with a smile.

"So why don't you put them on!" chirps Olaf. "That way, we can see how they look!"

So Kristian takes off the pair of gloves that he is already wearing and puts on the new pair. "I must admit, I am a little surprised. These gloves are quite comfortable," says Kristian as he shows off the gloves a bit to the others.

"I'm glad. For I knew that making the best pair of gloves for you was not going to be an easy task," replies Elsa.

"Excuse my curiosity, but wouldn't a pair of cotton or wool gloves have been a better choice than leather? Since cloth gloves can have a more refined look to them." asks Izabell.

For a moment, both Elsa and Kristian look at Izabell in stunned silence. Since neither of them knows how to answer Izabell's question. However, Olaf has no hesitation about speaking up. "Elsa gave Kristian leather gloves because he can't wear any gloves made of cloth," chirps Olaf. "He is just special that way."

"You can't wear cloth gloves?" asks Izabell. "Do you develop some sort of rash?"

"Um…, yah, I guess you could say it is a rash," replies Kristian hesitantly.

Yah, and it is quite a rash," chirps Olaf. "Kristian's hands will get all red from it."

"Oh, that sounds like a bad reaction. Does it cause you any discomfort?" asks Izabell.

"No, it doesn't bother me at all," replies Kristian. "However, I have seen others bothered by the sight of it."

"It's not that big of a deal," says Anna as she picks up a present from under the tree. "Everyone in Arendelle knows about it. However, this um rash of Kristian's will flare up from time to time. So sometimes it just makes things go easier when Kristian keeps it hidden."

"I see. You know, I have noticed that Kristian has been constantly wearing gloves," replies Izabell. "You have been doing this for our benefit?"

"It was my decision to hide this from you and Anton," interjects Elsa. "I felt that you had enough on your mind. You didn't need to be burden with Kristian's condition as well."

"That was considerate of you. Yet, I'm sure that Anton and I would have understood," replies Izabell. "I like to think of myself as being open to other people's situations."

"I do believe you would have accepted Kristian's condition," adds Elsa.

"You certainly have been more than gracious and accepting with Elsa," interjects Anna. "Some new comers to the palace can react nervously in my sister's presence. However, you have been more than willing to accept Elsa as who she truly is."

After having made her comment, Anna walks over to Kristoff and hands him his present, "Here you go. Merry Christmas," says Anna.

So Kristoff then takes the present from Anna and begins to open it. Then from inside the wrapped box, Kristoff pulls out a leather belt. "It's a belt," says Kristoff a little befuddled by the present. He was expecting something more grandeur than this.

"So, what do you think?" asks Anna excitedly.

"It is a beautiful belt," says Kristoff with a slightly forced smile. "I definitely don't have a belt as good as this."

"I know you don't, but you haven't looked at it closely yet," says Anna with a smile. "This belt was designed with a special feature."

So after hearing this comment from Anna, Kristoff begins to examine the belt more closely. In mere moments, Kristoff sees a leather loop attached to the side of the belt. "Hey, there is a holder on the side of this belt," exclaims Kristoff. "Why would you have something like this on the side of a fancy belt?"

"That's simple," replies Anna. "You are the Ice Master of Arendelle. There are times where you need to look splendid for dignitaries and at ceremonies. Yet you still need to display your position to others. So this belt allows for both of those. It will dress you up and yet it gives you a place to hang your ice axe, a very strong symbol of your position in Arendelle."

"I never really thought about it," ponders Kristoff. "I suppose this belt will come in handy. You know, sometimes I do feel naked without my things."

"Then I guess that I gave you just the right gift," says a smiling Anna.

"Well the guys have their presents. Now, what about the ladies?" chirps Olaf. "Surely, you two guys have gotten something for Anna and Elsa."

"Of course we did," says Kristoff as he sets his belt down and then gets up.

"We wouldn't have forgotten to get gifts for our favorite ladies," adds Kristian as he to gets up.

So as the two men head over to retrieve the presents from under the tree, Anna and Elsa both sit themselves down on the couch again. Soon enough, both Kristoff and Kristian are heading back with the gifts and hand them to their respective lady friends.

Once the ladies have received their gifts, they begin to open them. Of course Elsa takes her time to carefully unwrap her give. Meanwhile, Anna quickly tears into her present. So Anna is the first one to get her gift open. So once the top of Anna's present is open, a greenish glow can almost be seen coming out of the top of the box.

"Kristoff, it is beautiful!" exclaims Anna as she looks into the box. "Where did you find such an item?"

"It wasn't difficult. I just happened to come across it," replies Kristoff. "I suppose you could call it a sort of family heirloom, given to me by its owner."

"This person must have really cared about you to give this brooch to you," comments Anna as she picks the brooch up out of the box.

"All I'll say is we're close," replies Kristoff a little embarrassed by Anna's comment about the possibility of Kristian caring for him. Guys just don't talk about caring for one another in that fashion. It's just unmanly, even Kristian blushes a little from Anna's comment.

Anyway, while Anna was busy opening her present, Anton and Izabell have been watching her and Kristoff. Izabell was finding the whole interaction between the two amusing. Even Anton had settled down and was no longer apprehensive in the presence of Elsa and the others.

However, Izabell's emotions quickly change from amusement to a focused intensity as she sees the brooch in Anna's hands. So in response to the brooch, Izabell sits upright in the chair to get a clear view of this piece of jewelry. Then Izabell stands up and says excitedly, "Anna, may I see that brooch?"

"Um, sure," replies Anna a little puzzled by Izabell's reaction. So Anna then reaches her hand out to offer Izabell a chance to look at the brooch.

So with excitement, Izabell quickly walks over to Anna and carefully takes the brooch out of Anna's hand. "Thank you," says Izabell as she picks up the brooch. For a moment, Izabell carefully examines the brooch. Then the others in the room hear Izabell whisper, "I can't believe it!"

"Excuse me? Is everything all right?" asks Elsa as she becomes a little concerned with Izabell's reaction.

"It's fine! Everything is fine!" replies Izabell excitedly. Then Izabell turns towards Kristoff and looks at him wide eye. Kristoff was standing just a short distance away. "Kris!" then exclaims Izabell.

"Yah?" replies Kristoff as he looks at Izabell with some confusion.

However, Izabell does not provide an explanation. Instead, Izabell quickly moves over to Kristoff and places her hands on his shoulders. "Kris!" exclaims Izabell again.

As Izabell reacts this way, everyone else in the room is stunned by this. As for Anton, he stands up and exclaims, "He can't be! Izabell?"

Meanwhile, Kristoff doesn't know what to do. Kristoff has gone all tense with Izabell's hands right on his shoulders. As they stand this way, Izabell looks intensely at Kristoff's face and into his eyes. "Um…, is there something I can do for you, Izabell?" asks Kristoff awkwardly.

However, Izabell doesn't really respond to Kristoff's question. Instead a confused look appears on Izabell's face as one of her own hands moves up to touch Kristoff's face. "No, this isn't right," says a confused Izabell to herself. "The face isn't right." Then Izabell's hand moves to Kristoff's hair as she then examines the matted blondness of Kristoff. "The hair is all wrong," then continues a still confused Izabell. Finally, Izabell steps back away from Kristoff as she continues to look at the Arendelle Ice Master. "No, I don't think it is him," then says a slight depressed Izabell.

"Are you all right?" asks Anna as she is worried about this strange interaction between Kristoff and Izabell.

"I'm sorry. It's nothing. It's just… this brooch," replies Izabell as she then lifts the brooch up again to look at it. Then after a moment, her attention goes back towards Kristoff. "This brooch, where did you get it?" asks Izabell.

"A friend gave it to me," replies Kristoff as he feels uneasy about Izabell's directness. "He knew I need a present for Anna and he offered the brooch to me."

"A friend, what is the name of this friend? Please, I need to know his namne! It is very important for me to know!" exclaims Izabell.

However, Kristoff just stands there, for he doesn't know what to do. With the way that Izabell is reacting, Kristoff is not sure what Izabell would do with the information. Earlier, Anna had warned him about revealing Kristian's magic to Izabell and Anton. As of right now, he has not received any information to change that warning. So Kristian's safety is still on Kristoff's mind.

Fortunately for Kristoff, he does not have to make the decision of what to do. This is because Kristian eventually speaks up. "I gave Kristoff the brooch," says Kristian.

After hearing Kristian's voice, Izabell turns to look at him. However, before she can do anything else, Anton speaks up. "Izabell! Kristian is the suitor of Elsa, the Snow Queen! Her magic…, I mean…, it just couldn't!" exclaims Anton as he tries to dissuade Izabell of the notion of Kristian being her lost brother.

"What is going on?" interrupts a puzzled Elsa.

"It is nothing," replies an uneasy Anton. "My apologies. I didn't mean to disturb everyone with my outburst."

"I don't think it was nothing," questions Elsa. "Obviously, something has disturbed both Izabell and yourself."

"Please forgive me, but Anton may be right about it being nothing," replies Izabell as she tries to contain her anxiety over this new discovery. "I just need to get some details straight in my head. That's all."

So now Izabell turns her attention to Kristian and takes a deep breath to settle herself. Then Izabell slowly approaches Kristian. "Hello Kristian," says Izabell calmly. "I said yesterday that I might like to talk to you again. I just didn't think that talk was going to be about this." With this statement, Izabell holds up the brooch to show it to Kristian.

"I'm… not sure why you are so interested in that simple little brooch?" questions Kristian cautiously. "It is sort of a common piece."

"Yes, this is a fairly common design. However, what I really want to know is who had ownership of this brooch?" asks Izabell. "Surely you cannot be this brooch's original keeper."

"The original holder passed away," replies Kristian quietly. "So the ownership of the brooch passed on to me."

"In what circumstance would you take possession?" asks Izabell. "Did you cross paths and become friends with the original owner?"

"I didn't have to cross paths with the owner," replies Kristian. "I um… knew her all my life. She was my mother."

For a moment, Izabell felt like her heart had stopped. Then it felt like her heart was racing uncontrollably. Even Anton was in a state of disbelief. As for Elsa and the others, they were concerned by how Izabell was reacting to this news. Since why would Izabell be so focused on the history of this brooch?

Finally, Izabell speaks. "A necklace! There should have been a necklace as well!" exclaims Izabell excitedly.

"What?!" exclaims Kristian out of shock. Since how could Izabell know about his mother's necklace? Of course, Kristian also thinks that he might not understand Izabell correctly.

"A necklace! It has three diamonds and two rubies!" exclaims Izabell. "She never would have given that away before the brooch!"

Do you mean this necklace?" replies Elsa as she holds up a necklace out of the present box she received from Kristian.

"It can't be!" quietly exclaims Anton as he looks at the necklace.

As for Izabell, her eyes get extremely wide at the sight of the necklace. Then as she turns back towards Kristian, Kristian could see a tear running down Izabell's cheek. "It is you!" exclaims Izabell. "Kris!" So as Izabell says this, she moves quickly up to Kristian and wraps her arms around him. "I never even dreamt that it would be you!"

As for Kristian, he is completely stunned by Izabell's action. So is everyone else in the room. "Um…, Izabell? You know me?" asks a perplexed Kristian "I didn't think we knew each other and definitely not as close as this."

After Kristian's comment, Izabell releases Kristian but keeps her hands on his shoulders. "Of course we know each other!" exclaims Izabell. "I'm Izabell! We lived in the same house when we were young children!"

Kristian is a bit surprised and puzzled by Izabell's comment. Still his mind races as he tries to figure out how and where Izabell might know him from. Could one of the dwellings that he and his mother stayed in during their travels been the house that Izabell is talking about?

As Kristian ponders this, Izabell notices the confusion on Kristian's face. So Izabell says, "Maybe you know me by the name of Little Bell. That is what some people use to call me."

After hearing this, Kristian's eyes grow wide as he looks into Izabell's face. Then cautiously he asks, "Ding?!"

"Yes, Ding Ding!" exclaims Izabell as she once again throws her arms around Kristian. "Oh how I hated to hear you call me that when we were kids!"

"Ding!" exclaims Kristian as he finally comes to the realization of who Izabell really is. At the same time, Kristian also wraps his arms around Izabell and hugs her back. "I can't believe that you are actually here!"

So for a few brief moments, Kristian and Izabell embrace each other as they begin to reconnect with one another. However, this embrace is interrupted as Elsa asks a question. "Um Kristian, what is going on? Who is Izabell?" asks Elsa.

With Elsa's interruption, Kristian and Izabell release each other. Then Kristian says, "Elsa, Izabell is a member of my family! She is my sister!"

"Your sister!" exclaims Elsa as she has to allow this information to soak in. "Izabell is you sister!?"

"Yes, and somehow she has managed to find her way to Arendelle and to me," replies Kristian.


	19. Chapter 19

Now just a few seconds ago, the huge revelation of Kristian and Izabell being brother and sister has left everyone in stunned silence. Yet soon enough, the initial shock wears off. So now Anton is the first one to react.

"It can't be!" exclaims Anton.

"Anton please; it is Kris, my brother! You know I hoped by following the rumors of a fire wielding man that it might lead me to Kris's whereabouts," says Izabell. "Yet I didn't think I would find him here in Arendelle, especially after my disappointment with Goran."

"If you were looking for your brother, why didn't you tell us you were looking for him?" asks Anna.

"I wanted too, but Anton thought that it was best that we keep it a secret," replies Izabell.

"I don't understand. Why didn't you want to tell us the truth about your search?" asks Elsa as she addresses Anton.

"How could we?!" exclaims Anton, who is still in a state of disbelief. "You are the Snow Queen, and Izabell's brother could control fire with mere thought!"

"You were thinking that fire and ice are polar opposites," comments Anna with a smile.

"You're not the first ones to think that," adds Kristoff. "Heck, there are still people here in Arendelle that can't believe that they are even dating."

"Exactly!" exclaims Anton. "I mean, how can you even make it work?! Elsa, your powers alone should clash with anything of a fiery nature! Unless…, you have somehow neutralized Kristian's magic! That's why you can be in a relationship with Kristian!"

"Is that true?" asks Izabell as she addresses Kristian. "Did you lose your magic?"

"No, I still have my magic," replies Kristian calmly as he takes his gloves off. Then Kristian reaches one of his hands out towards the fireplace. There was already a fire burning in the fire place. However, what Kristian does is he makes a piece of flame from the fire float away and over to his hand. Once this small flame makes it to his hand, Kristian cradles the flame in his upright palm. "As you can see, I've gotten pretty good at controlling it as well," then adds Kristian.

Now Kristian reaches out with his other hand and takes a hold of Izabell's hand. Then Kristian raises Izabell's hand up until the palm of her hand is facing up. Then with his hand underneath Izabell's hand, Kristian brings the flame over to Izabell's hand and lets it slide into her upright palm.

"I've also gotten good at using my powers around other people as well," says Kristian with a smile as he allows the flame to fall onto Izabell's palm.

"Way cool, Kristian!" exclaims Olaf.

"Izabell?!" asks Anton as he is worried about Izabell getting hurt.

"It's all right, Anton," replies Izabell as she begins to relax after having the fire in the palm of her hand for a moment. "It's not hurting me, though I can still feel the heat from this small flame."

So now with Izabell comfortable holding the small flame in her hand, Kristian steps back away from Izabell. This allows Izabell to stand there alone with the small flame in the palm of her hand. Then after a brief moment of worry, Izabell relaxes again. So then Izabell takes this opportunity to play with the fire a bit. First she rolls the flame around in her hand. Then Izabell begins to roll the flame from one hand into the other. All the time, Kristian has his attention squarely focused on his sister.

"But how, how are you two even together then?" asks a perplexed Anton.

"I won't deny that there haven't been some difficulties," replies Elsa. "Our powers do clash at times. Yet, what you see Kristian doing now is something the both of us have learned to do with each other. As long as the balance of power is maintained between us, Kristian and I can live peacefully within each other's presence."

"They can do more than just hang out with each other!" chirps Olaf. "They have become the best of friends, and they have worked together to help each other!"

"Yes, and they certainly helped each other when Goran brought Kristian to Arendelle," adds Anna.

"Yah!" chirps Olaf. "Elsa helped Kristian get away from Goran, and Kristian helped to save Elsa from his fiery companion as well. Then by working together, they both were able to defeat Goran!"

While Olaf was speaking, Izabell had walked over to the fireplace and tossed the small flame she was carrying into the fire. Then after hearing what Olaf had to say, Izabell exclaims, "I almost forgot, Goran!" Also at this same time, tears begin to form in Izabell's eyes.

"Izabell?" asks Kristian as he sees his sister begin to cry.

So in response, Izabell turns towards Kristian and gives him a hug. In return Kristian hugs her back. Then Izabell says, "You had already told me what Goran did to our parents. They're gone. I mean, I always knew that our parents were likely deceased, but it feels like it just happened."

"I am sorry, Izabell," replies Kristian. "It was my entire fault for everything that has happened to our family."

"What?" exclaims Izabell as she pushes away from Kristian so she can look at his face.

"If it wasn't for my magic, our parents never would have gotten into a predicament with Goran," replies Kristian.

"You can't blame yourself for that!" exclaims Izabell. "If our father only had the nerve to stand up to his brothers, we would not have to be in this position right now!"

"Yes, it is not right to blame yourself," adds Elsa. "Life has just been unfair to you, and it is of no fault of your own. I prefer to think of everything positive that you done. You should be proud of those good accomplishments."

"You always have been too good to me, Elsa," replies Kristian with a smile.

"I'm just repaying you for everything that you have done for me and my family," responds Elsa as she smiles back at Kristian.

"Speaking of family, Kris, could you tell me about what happened to our parents?" then asks Izabell. "I mean, I know that Goran ended their lives; but what happened afterwards? I hope that they weren't disrespected."

"They weren't," replies Kristian. "Goran made sure to give our mother a proper burial, since he didn't want to lose me as well. As for our father, I gave him his final resting place next to mother after I realized who he was."

"Then their graves are not far from here," ponders Izabell quietly. "If they were, you couldn't have traveled there and back in such a short period of time. Could you possibly take me there?"

"I'm afraid it will take a few weeks to journey to that location," replies Kristian.

"It is also not advisable to travel during this time of year," adds Elsa. "It would be best if you wait until spring to go."

"Elsa is right. I'm afraid any trip will have to wait," says Kristian as he addresses Izabell. However, as Kristian finishes speaking, he notices the disappointment on Izabell's face. Then after a moment of thought, he says, "Unless…"

"Unless..., unless what?" asks Izabell.

Well…, it may be possible for us to travel there in a different way," replies Kristian. "If so, we would be there almost instantaneously."

"Instantaneously?" questions Izabell.

"Sure. I could simply use my magic to transport our consciousness there," replies Kristian.

"Kristian, are you sure?" interjects Elsa. "Your magic is not exactly what someone would call people friendly."

"Well I was thinking that you would be coming with us," replies Kristian with a smile. "Since, you have always had the talent to cool my unusual flare."

"I guess we do complement each other very well," says Elsa with a smile. "Very well, if Izabell wishes to travel in this manner, I will gladly assist the both of you."

So after Elsa's offer of assistance, everyone turns their attention towards Izabell; and they did not have long to wait for her answer. "I say yes, let's give it a try," says Izabell cautiously.

However, before anyone can say anything else, Anton interrupts. "Izabell, are you sure about this?" questions Anton. "You are going to be relying on their magic. Surely that means there is some risk involved. I have been doing everything I can to keep us safe, but there is nothing I can do to protect you with this."

"Is that why you have been so paranoid since we have been here?" asks Izabell. "You have been trying to protect me. I appreciate the thought, but I didn't need that level of security from you. Your support was all I truly needed here in Arendelle. As for this risk, Kristian wouldn't have offered it if he didn't think he could do it. I have faith in my brother, and I want to see the sight of my parent's final resting place."

After hearing Izabell's insistence, Anton just nods his acceptance and says, "Alright, I won't go against your wishes. Just be safe."

So now that Anton has withdrawn his objection, Kristian speaks up. "So..., are you ready to try and depart now?" asks Kristian.

"Yes, let's try this," replies Izabell.

However, before anyone can do anything, it is Anna's turn to interrupt. "Hey, would it be alright if I came along as well?" asks Anna. "The last time you went back to your mountain, I was left behind. I was just stuck here in Arendelle, and all I could do was to watch you and Elsa. This time I would really like to go with the both of you."

"Um, sure, you can come along," replies Kristian as he is a bit surprised at Anna's desire to come.

So finally, now that everyone has decided on who was going to go, Kristian and the three ladies all gather in the center of the room. Then Kristian holds out his hands for the others to take. Izabell and Anna are the first ones to grab Kristian's hands. Then Elsa places his hands on top of everyone's hands.

"OK, all you need to do is focus your thoughts on me," says Kristian. "I will lead us there, and Elsa with be assisting."

So with everyone nodding in agreement, Kristian allows his hands to flame. Kristian controls this flame so that it only moves along the outside of everyone's joined hands. However, once the flames touch Elsa's hands the flames begin to change to a blueish energy. This is because Elsa's own magic alters Kristian's fire magic. Now that Elsa has made this energy safe for everyone, this energy quickly envelops everyone holding hands. Once this happens, Kristian and the three ladies consciousness are quickly transported to Kristian's old mountain home.

"Woah!" exclaims Anna as she opens her eyes at this new location. "This is quite a rush!"

"Agreed, this is quite an experience," adds Izabell as she begins to look around.

"Granted, it is an unusual feeling at first, but you will soon get used to it," replies Elsa from behind the two ladies.

So after hearing Elsa's voice from behind them, Izabell and Anna turn around to look at Elsa. However, once they see her, they stop out of pure amazement. This is because they both see Elsa in a crystalline form, and standing next to her is Kristian in a sleek flaming image of himself.

"Elsa, you're crystal!" exclaims Anna eventually. "You're totally made out of ice crystal!"

"Of course," replies Elsa with a smile. "That is the nature of my magic."

"And mine is fire," adds Kristian as he stands next to Elsa in his sleek fire form.

"Well if you two look like that, then what do we look like?" asks Anna as she looks down at herself and then over to Izabell. At the same time, Izabell also does a similar behavior.

What the two ladies see is a combination of subdue blue flame over crystalline ice. "These are our bodies!" exclaims Izabell. "What happened to our real bodies?"

"They are back in Arendelle. Exactly where we left them," replies Kristian. "Only our consciousness was brought here. So these forms are merely vessels for our minds to use. However, we can only stay here for a short while. The concentration required to maintain these many forms is fatiguing."

So after a moment, the shock of their new forms wears off of Izabell and Anna. Then the two ladies are able to examine their surroundings more closely. Soon Izabell's eyes fall upon the two tombstones. So then Izabell walks up to the grave markers to examine them. Then she says, "You remembered the royal family marker. I see that you have carved it here on this stone."

"I am sorry to say this, but no. I found that symbol on our father," replies Kristian. "I thought that it was only fair that the marker that everyone knew him by should be visible on his gravestone."

"For not having grown up with such regal customs, that was a very noble gesture from you," says Izabell.

"You can thank my time spent in Arendelle for understanding how important those royal insignias can be," replies Kristian. "Before that time, I really didn't pay much attention to them. However, I've come to realize how important they are to others, particularly to those individuals of noble upbringing."

In response, Izabell nods in agreement. Then she says, "So I take it that this is the area that you and our mother spent a good part of your lives."

"Yes, I spent a lot of my life in this area," replies Kristian. "Once our mother knew that Goran was like me, she knew we could be safe here. Yesterday, I told you that we traveled around a lot when I was a kid. That was because of my magic, since I couldn't always control it back then."

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Kristian," interrupts Elsa. "With the kind of gifts that we both have, there is a learning process. However, I think you have mastered yours very well."

A smile comes to Kristian's face as he looks over to Elsa. Then he says, "Yah, I guess that I have."

"I suppose in a way, it was very fortunate for you to find this place. I mean about finding a place to live, not um… the other thing," interjects Izabell as she nods in the direction of the grave stones. Then turning back towards Kristian, Izabell says, "You already mentioned that life was tough living with Goran. However, you haven't really mentioned any details. I am only asking because I'm curious about how you and mother managed to live here."

"Well, I guess you do deserve to know our history," replies Kristian. "We should almost move to the upper plateau. That is where the beginning of our history on the mountain all began. So if it is alright by you, we can head up there now."

Then after a momentary thought on the matter, Izabell says, "Of course, we can always come back here later."

"Good, then we can head this way," replies Kristian as he points in one direction.

In response, Izabell begins to walk in the direction that Kristian points. Then Kristian begins to walk along side of his sister. Then behind them, they are followed by Anna and Elsa. As they walk, Kristian begins to tell of the events that lead him and his mother to travel up into the mountains and eventually to this place.

So for the next half hour, Kristian tells Izabell and the others of his life's story on the mountain. For both Anna and Elsa, this story was familiar. However, Izabell followed the story closely and asked many questions. However, eventually fatigue begins to set in with Kristian and Elsa. This is because they are both using their magic to allow this unique visitation to Kristian's old mountain home. So because of this, Kristian and Elsa return everyone back to the safe confines of the palace.

* * *

Anyway, while Elsa and the others were in their trance, Kristoff, Anton, and Olaf could only sit and wait. After several minutes of waiting, Anton says, "This whole thing just seems weird. They are here, and yet they are not here."

"Hey, don't worry!" chirps Olaf. "This trip is easy for Elsa and Kristian. I've seen them do it once before."

"Sure, but have they ever done it with anybody else?" questions Anton. "It seem like they have been gone for quite a long time. Do you think something might have happened?"

"I wouldn't worry about it too much," replies Kristoff. "Elsa would not let anything happen to Anna. If there was trouble, Elsa would make sure that everyone is safe."

"Yah, Elsa is the nicest person around," chirps Olaf. "She likes to take care of everyone! Besides, Kristian is there too. He has a good heart, and Kristian is a fierce defender. If there is trouble, Kristian is willing to face it."

Just then, the magical energy that surrounds the travelers fades away. As this energy fades, their joined hands separate and their eyes open. "We're back!" exclaims Anna as she looks around the room.

With the realization that Izabell was no longer in a magical trance, Anton hurries over to his wife and exclaims, "Izabell! Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," replies a smiling Izabell. "It was an experience that I am glad that I took. Were you actually worried about me?"

"Of course, I was worried," replies Anton. "If anything had happened, there would have been nothing that I could do to try and help you."

"You shouldn't have worried about me," says Izabell as she tries to reassure Anton. "Kristian wouldn't have let anything happen to me. Still, it is nice to know that you care enough to worry about me."

"Hey, I will always worry about you," replies Anton a little sheepishly.

As Anton and Izabell were talking, Kristoff walks up to Anna. Then he says, "I'm glad you got back safely. So how was your little trip?"

"It was unbelievable!" exclaims Anna. "It felt almost kind of weird to travel that way. Plus, you should have seen what we looked like. I mean, we all looked like ourselves; but the bodies we were using were made of energy!"

"Then you enjoyed yourself," comments Kristoff.

"I certainly did," replies Anna happily. "Next time, you should come with us."

"Not anytime soon," interjects Kristian as he and Elsa head over to the couch to sit down. "That little journey took a fair amount of energy out of Elsa and me."

"Agreed, but it was a pleasure to assist Izabell on this matter," adds Elsa.

So, for the rest of the evening, everyone reminisces about the past. First Izabell and Anna tell the others of their trip to Kristian's old mountain home. This soon leads to talk about Kristian's past and then to Izabell's past. As for Anton, he is simply amazed by how well Kristian and Elsa are getting along. Yet, even he is enjoying this evening's revelations.

Eventually, after several hours of talking, this private gathering is brought to a close. Elsa had to bring it to a close because tomorrow was Christmas, and it was going to be a busy day for the kingdom of Arendelle.


	20. Chapter 20

Next morning, there is a bustle of activity at the palace. Things need to be ready, and the servants are making sure that they are ready. Even Elsa is lending a hand in getting things ready for this Christmas day.

Now while Elsa was keeping herself busy inside the palace, outside in the courtyard, Kristoff and Sven were bringing firewood in for the fire pits. As Sven brings the sled to a stop, several servants go to work to neatly pile the firewood along the outside wall of the courtyard. Even Kristian is out there to help unload the wood. Of course those working outside appreciate Kristian's help. This is because Kristian uses his magic to create temporary fires in each one of the pits. This helps to keep the workers warm without using up the wood for the celebration.

As Elsa and the guys keep themselves busy, Anna has managed to get herself up as well. After giving a brief good morning to her sister, Anna heads down to the kitchen to check on things. As a child, Anna was often bored. However, there was always activity going on down in the palace kitchen. So on some of those boring days, Anna would head to the kitchen. So today, this ritual of hanging out with the kitchen staff has carried on.

Yet soon enough, everything is prepared. So Elsa and the others then have to get themselves ready. Kristoff heads back to his place, while the others head to their respective rooms. Eventually, they will all head for the private quarters of the royal family.

Of course, since Izabell and Anton are guests at the palace, they are already in the private quarters relaxing by the fire. While waiting, the first person that greets them this morning is Olaf. "Hi!" chirps Olaf as he walks into the room. "It certainly has been a beautiful morning today."

"Good morning, Olaf," replies Izabell as she turns to greet the snowman. "Yes, it has been a beautiful morning; and it feels like it will continue like this for the rest of the day."

"Yah, there is nothing like a bright winter day to put you in the holiday spirit," says Olaf. "I can't think of a better time of year to celebrate Christmas."

"I agree," replies Izabell. "This time of year needs to have some sort of celebration to help shorten the long winter, and the Christmas holiday will do that just fine."

Now while Olaf and Izabell were talking with each other, Elsa comes walking into the room. "Good morning," calls out Elsa as she sees Izabell and the others. "I hope the both of you had a pleasant night's sleep."

"Hi, Elsa!" chirps Olaf as he turns to wave at the Queen of Arendelle.

So with Elsa's appearance, both Izabell and Anton stand up to greet the queen. "Greetings, your majesty," says Anton as he bows low towards Elsa out of respect.

"Good morning to you too, your highness," adds Izabell as she curtsies. "Yes, we slept well enough. Though it took a little while for us to fall asleep. Especially after last night's excitement."

"I was wondering about that," replies Elsa. "I hope that you were not disturbed this morning. I asked the servants to try and give you some peace so that you might be able to sleep in. I even made sure to tell Olaf to not disturb you while you were in your room."

"That is appreciated, your majesty," says Anton. "And yes, we did manage to sleep in this morning. After last night, we certainly needed to. There was a lot to take in. Even today, I still am having difficulty understanding how you and Kristian are able to be in a relationship together."

"Yes, I am curious about that too," adds Izabell. "I mean your magic is about controlling the cold, and Kristian's magic controls heat. Surely the contradictions between the two would make any sort of relationship nearly impossible."

It really is not all that complicated," replies Elsa. "First of all, our magic is not active all the time. Still, I won't deny that from time to time that Kristian and I can set the other's powers off. Yet we have found that such incidents are easy for the other to tolerate. At times we even sort of make a game of it."

"What about the intimacy?" inquires Izabell. "How do you handle, you know, getting friendly with each other?"

"Oh, that just takes a little planning," replies Elsa with a smile.

"Planning?" questions Anton. "You mean you have to schedule with each other in advance? Wouldn't that take some of the excitement out of the relationship?"

"No, I am not talking about that kind of planning," replies Elsa with a smile. "I merely mean that there can be no sudden surprises. As long as both of us are aware of the other's advances, Kristian and I can interact like any other couple."

"You know, before I knew that Kristian was here, I wished that he had come here to Arendelle," comments Izabell. "Because once I got to know you, I knew that you would have welcomed him. Even with the differences between the two of you, I believed that you would find a way to live together. Yet I never dreamt that the two of you would be in a relationship."

"It doesn't surprise me that you would have thought that," replies Elsa. "Even here in Arendelle, there are those that have a hard time of accepting Kristian as my significant other. Yet despite this, Kristian and I still have been enjoying our time together."

"It still amazes me that the two of you are together. Yet, I think it is wonderful that the both of you were able to find each other," says Izabell. "Thanks to you, Kristian's life has turned out better than I could possible hope for."

Just then, everyone in the room hears a voice coming from outside the room. "Have you been talking about me?" says the voice. So in response to the voice everyone turns to see who it is. The person that they all see coming into the room is Kristian.

"Hi, Kristian!" chirps Olaf as he waves to him.

"Kris!" exclaims Izabell with delight as she quickly heads over to Kristian and gives him a big hug. "It is good to see you again."

Kristian returns the hug and says," It is good to see you too, but you already got to know me last night. Surely you can't have missed me that much already?"

"Are you kidding?" replies Izabell with a smile as she looks into Kristian's face. "I've been missing my family for several years now. So I'm not about to miss any opportunity I can get to reconnect with my long lost brother?"

"I guess you have a good enough reason for your actions," comments Kristian with a smile. "So is that also the reason why you were talking about me with Elsa?"

"Yes, in a way," replies Izabell. "We were actually talking about your and Elsa's relationship."

"Our relationship?" questions Kristian.

"Yes, I mean it is really amazing to us that the two of you are even together," replies Izabell.

"It is because of the differences of our powers," adds Elsa as she walks up alongside of Izabell. Then Elsa reaches her bare hand out towards Kristian. "They were wondering how it is possible for us to physically touch one another."

"Oh, is that all," replies Kristian with a smile as he reaches out and grabs onto Elsa's hand with his own bare hand. "I hope you were able to explain things to them."

"I believe that I have satisfied their curiosity on the matter," responds Elsa as she and Kristian walk back to join Olaf and Anton near the Christmas tree. Izabell also walks back with them, just off the opposite shoulder of Kristian's from Elsa.

As they near, Olaf chirps, "So is it time to go outside and join the party then? I notice some people have already showed up to have some fun."

"It is almost time, Olaf," replies Elsa with a smile. "There is just one more family tradition that we do here in the palace. That tradition is the hanging of the new Christmas ornaments on the tree."

"Oh yah, I almost forgot about that," chirps Olaf.

"Ornaments?" questions Kristian.

"Oh, I forgot that this is your first Christmas here," replies Elsa as she turns towards Kristian. "Still, I know Anna and I have talked about this tradition with you before." Then Elsa motions over to the Christmas tree in the room. Then she continues. "You see, every Christmas at least one new ornament is added to the tree. That ornament is to help remind us of an important event that has occurred during the last year here in Arendelle."

"Oh right, I remember you and Anna telling the stories behind some of the ornaments as you hung them on the tree," says Kristian.

So we are going to hang that special ornament on the tree right now?" questions Olaf excitedly.

"We will in a moment, Olaf," replies Elsa. "We just need to wait for Anna and Kristoff to show up before we hang the new ornaments. It wouldn't be right to do it without the both of them here."

Just then Anna's voice can be heard coming from the doorway. "Sorry we're late. I hope you haven't been waiting for us too long," says Anna as she enters the room.

In response everyone turns to look at Anna. Along with Anna, they also see Kristoff; and on Kristoff's arm was Mattias. Now this is the first time that both Izabell and Anton have seen Mattias, and they are both surprised by the presence of the firebird. However, the others don't give it a second thought.

"Hello, Anna," replies Elsa to Anna. "Actually, you are about right on time. We were just talking about getting out the new ornaments."

Just then, Mattias lets out a screech. "Hey Mattias, I'm glad to see you too," says Kristian as he lifts his arm up for the firebird to land on. Of course Mattias obliges and flies over to Kristian's arm. Then to Kristoff, Kristian says, "Thanks for bringing him."

"Sure, no problem," replies Kristoff. "I figured there was no reason to keep him hidden anymore. Besides, I think he was beginning to feel a little cooped up at my place."

Then Mattias tilts his head and lets out a questioning squawk. In response, Kristian says, "Of course I missed you, Mattias. My days will always seem a little empty whenever you are not around."

Then out of the blue, everyone in the room hears Anton exclaim, "He's made out of fire!"

"Sure he is!" chirps Olaf. "Mattias is Kristian's first true friend and companion. One that Kristian made all by himself."

"You made him?" questions Izabell out of surprise.

"Um yah, I made him," replies Kristian as he is a little surprised that Anton and Izabell didn't know about Mattias. "Didn't I already tell you about Mattias last night?"

"No, or at least I don't think so," says Izabell. "I'm sure I would have remembered you talking about a bird made out of fire."

"Sorry about introducing Mattias to you like this," replies Kristian apologetically. "It must be quite a shock to the both of you to see an actual firebird."

"Yes, but Arendelle has had many surprises for us," says Izabell.

"We have always expected to run into strange events here in Arendelle because of Elsa and her magic," adds Anton. "Yet there still are things here we didn't anticipate running in to, and the last things we expected to find were fire magic and a living firebird."

"I know Mattias can be a surprise to people," interjects Elsa. "Yet you don't have to be afraid of Kristian's feathered companion." While saying this, Elsa moves over next to Kristian and offers her arm for Mattias to perch on. Of course Mattias obliges as he hops over to Elsa. Then with Mattias on her arm, Elsa walks closer to Izabell. "As you can see, Mattias is perfectly safe to be around and not just for Kristian and me. When Mattias keeps his fire under control, anybody can hold him."

So now with Mattias just a few feet away, Izabell takes a moment to examine the firebird. Then Izabell says, "Hello Mattias. It is nice to meet you." In response, Mattias lets out a friendly screech. Then Izabell says with a smile, "I think he understood me."

"Of course he did!" chirps Olaf. "Mattias is one of the smartest guys around! He is so smart that he probably knows that there is a party going on. He probably also knows that we are already late for the party."

"We are not late, Olaf," replies Elsa. "Besides, the celebration is more for the people of Arendelle."

"Well, it certainly feels like we are late to me," says Olaf. "I bet we are missing all the fun and the yummy tasty goodies."

"I think Olaf is eager to join the celebration," says Anna amusingly. "Perhaps we should hurry things along a bit. I do enjoy this little tradition of the new ornaments, but I would like to join in the festivities as well."

"Oh very well," replies Elsa with a smile. "I guess it would be nice to join in the fun." So with that said, Elsa gives her arm an upward motion to signal to Mattias to depart from her. Of course, Mattias obliges; and the firebird then flies over to Kristian. So now that Mattias is with Kristian, Elsa then says, "Let's see. Anna, do you know where the two ornament boxes are?"

"They're up on the fire place mantel," replies Anna. "I had them put there to make sure that they were safe."

While Anna was talking, she had bothered to walking over to the fire mantel. Once there, Anna picks up two ornament boxes and then she carries them over to Elsa. "Here you go," says Anna as she hands one of the boxes over to her sister.

"Thank you," replies Elsa as she accepts the box from Anna. Then Elsa turns towards the others in the room. "I feel that I should give those that don't know a brief description of this family tradition of ours," says Elsa. "Our family, for as long as I can remember, has always had at least one special Christmas ornament made. The ornaments are to commemorate a special event in the life of our family that has happened in the last year. For this year, Anna and I thought that two ornaments should be made. This is because two events occurred this year that was significant to each of us, individually." Then after saying this, Elsa motions for Anna to step forward.

So now Anna steps forward and speaks. "Several months ago, around the time of the anniversary of my sister's coronation, a question was put towards me," says Anna. "When this question was directed at me, I knew that the answer to this question was going to have a profound effect on the rest of my life. Still, I could only think of one answer to this question; and that answer was yes. I am sure everyone here already knows what that question was. That question was whether or not to marry Kristoff. Of course, I said yes."

So then after saying this, Anna opens her ornament box and pulls out the ornament inside. Anna holds up this ornament for everyone to see. This ornament is made of glass, and it has two prominent colors. One of the colors is a vibrant gray, and the other color is a warm red. The red glass also has a white streak through its color.

"So I had this ornament made to represent my engagement to Kristoff," says Anna. "It is a moment that I want to remember forever."

After Anna's brief statement, Kristoff walks up to Anna and says, "The moment you said yes is the only thing I really care to remember. Because that was the moment that made everything else I did seem unimportant."

In response, Anna just smiles and giggles as she and Kristoff gaze into each other's eyes. Then after a few moments of being in this lover's gaze, Elsa speaks up. "Uh hum…, Anna, why don't you and Kristoff go place the ornament on the tree with the other ornaments," says Elsa.

"Oh! Sure, Elsa," replies Anna as she snaps out of her gaze. Then to Kristoff she says, as Anna beings to walk towards the tree, "Kristoff?"

"I'm right with you," replies Kristoff as he quickly comes up alongside of Anna. So once they are both at the tree, Anna hands the ornament over to Kristoff and Kristoff hangs the ornament on the Christmas tree.

So once the ornament is hung, Anna says, "It does look beautiful up on the tree." Then after a moment of admiring the ornament, Anna turns around and says, "OK, Elsa, it is your turn. I know that I am not the only one who has a little speech to give."

"With a smile, Elsa replies, "You're quite right. I do have a little speech of my own. Now it will be of no surprise to my friends and family here that the event, that I decided to commemorate in an ornament, happened around the time of the spring festival. As you all know, Kristian showed up during that celebration. Now while his presence in Arendelle did eventually lead to an unwanted confrontation with Goran, it also began a new adventure for me. Before Kristian, all I truly had in my life was Anna and a few close friends. However after his arrival, I managed to find a new friend and a companion. Someone who has managed to fill a space in my life, a space that didn't need to be filled; but I am happy that someone is able to occupy that space."

Now Elsa opens up her ornament box and pulls out the ornament inside. This ornament is a silver metal snowflake. Then to the top of this snowflake is attached a polish brass flame. The workmanship of this ornament is very well done, and it reflects the light in the room in such a way that it almost sparkles.

"That is why, I had this ornament designed to help me remember the fact that Kristian has come into Arendelle and into my life," says Elsa as she holds the ornament.

Now, Kristian walks forward. As he nears Elsa, Kristian reaches out with his free hand. This is because Mattias is perched on his other arm. Anyway, Elsa reaches out with her free hand and takes a hold of Kristian's hand. "You know, I'm glad that I was the one that filled that empty space of yours," says Kristian with a smile.

"As am I," replies Elsa as she returns Kristian's smile with her own. Then after a moment of being in a lover's gaze, Elsa begins to pull Kristian towards the Christmas tree. "Come on, we've got a new ornament to add to the family collection," says Elsa.

So with a smile, Kristian willing follows Elsa to the tree. Once there, Elsa hands the ornament to Kristian and he hangs it on the tree. Then they both step back to admire the ornament. After a moment, Olaf speaks up. "Yah, both ornaments are beautiful additions to the Christmas tree," says Olaf. Then after a slight pause, Olaf says, "So…., is now a good time for us to join in the fun downstairs?"

In response to Olaf, everyone in the room begins to laugh. Then Elsa says, "OK, Olaf, we can go down and have some fun."

"Yippee! I just love the parties here in Arendelle," chirps Olaf. "So let's get going!" With this said, Olaf quickly begins to skip out of the room; and again everyone begins to laugh at Olaf's response. Then they all head out of the room and down to join in the village celebration.

Now down in the main hall, there is music playing. A few people are even dancing. Also in the hall several tables of warm food and deserts are present. Of course, all sorts of hot beverages are also available. However, this is only a brief stop for Elsa and the others. It is just long enough for Elsa and Anna to be introduced to the people gathered in the great hall. Then after a few pleasantries, Elsa and the others head out into the courtyard.

Now out in the courtyard, the first sign to the villagers of Elsa being there was Mattias. As Elsa and the others enter the courtyard, Mattias takes off from Kristian's arm and flies to his outdoor fire pit. As he does, the firebird leaves a fire trail behind him through the air. Then once he lands on his iron perch, Mattias lets out a screech.

With Matias's noticed arrival, the villagers soon turn their attention towards the door of the palace. Near the door, everyone can see Elsa with Kristian standing close to her on one side and Anna standing on the other side. "It's the queen!" exclaims one of the villagers as an applause rises shortly after the announcement.

After the announcement, Elsa just smiles and then she slightly turns back towards Kristian and the others. "You will have to excuse me for a moment. I'm afraid I'll have to give a little speech," says Elsa with a smile. Then Elsa walks forward to address the gathered crowd.

"Thank you all for coming," says Elsa as she addresses the crowd. "It is wonderful for me to know that the royal family of Arendelle has so many good friends. I just hope that I have been able to reciprocate that friendship to all of you. Of course, that is one reason why we are all here today. Since Christmas is a time for all of us to celebrate with family and friends. That is one reason why I have decided to open up the gates. All of Arendelle is my family, and I wish to share my joy and good will with everyone here. So why don't I first start by adding to this festive atmosphere."

Now Elsa raises her hands; and as she does this, beautiful spires of ice climb upward. Once the spires are complete, then garlands of snow and ice form between the spires. Then as the garlands finish, decorative wreaths form in the middle of the garlands.

Now while Elsa was busy adding decorative touches to the courtyard, Kristian comes walking up alongside of her. Then just before Elsa finishes with the wreaths, Kristian places the back of his hand into Elsa's palm. "Here, let me add a few of my own touches," says Kristian.

So with a smile, Elsa wraps her fingers around Kristian's hand as she begins to modify Kristian's magic. This modification allows Kristian to add to Elsa creations without damaging them. Anyway, from the middle of the ice wreaths, Kristian creates small fires. The flames from these fires soon move to the tops of the wreaths. From here, the fires are able to burn harmlessly as they add light to the courtyard.

While Kristian and Elsa are busy with their magical decorations, Anton and Izabell are astounded by what they are seeing. Since this is actually the first time the two of them have seen Elsa and Kristian's magic working together to create something. "I can't believe it!" exclaims Anton.

"I know!" adds Izabell. "Kristian's fire is burning away on top of the ice and the ice is not melting!"

"See! I told you that they can do some pretty amazing things together!" chirps Olaf.

"Those are some pretty nice additions to the decorations," exclaims Anna as she addresses Kristian and Elsa. "So do you think you can spruce up the Christmas tree too?"

"I was just think that myself," replies Elsa with a smile.

"I guess that we all may have had the same idea then," adds Kristian as well.

So with Elsa still modifying his magic, Kristian focuses his attention on the Christmas tree that is made out of ice. So the first thing that happens is that Kristian generates a fire around the trunk of the tree. Then when this fire is complete, it begins to crawl off the ground and up the trunk of the tree. Then once the fire reaches the branches the fire begins to split into smaller flames and begin to travel along each of the branches.

Now at this point, Elsa begins to use her own magic as she begins to generate small spikes of ice on the ends of the branches. So by the time that Kristian's flames reach the end of the branches, the flames have something to climb. So when this is finally accomplished, the tree looks like it is full of hundreds of lit candles.

Finally, there is still one last flame on the tree. This flame climbs all the way up to the very top of the tree and to the snowflake star there. Once the flame gets to the star snowflake, it enters the snowflake. The star snowflake was brilliant before, but now the snowflake begins to glow brightly.

For a moment, there are a few oohs and aahs from the gather crowd. "Nicely done," comments Elsa happily.

"You've done a pretty good job yourself," adds Kristian.

"So do you think we should really top off today's celebration then?" ask Elsa amusingly.

"Sure, why not," replies Kristian with a smile as he turns towards Elsa.

So with this said, Elsa and Kristian grasp hands. Then they each begin to focus their powers together. As they do, the star snowflake begins to grow brighter and brighter. Then all of a sudden, energy bursts upward out of the snowflake. Soon this energy reaches its apex. Once there, this energy quickly scatters itself through the air. As it does, some of the energy generates some flaming snowflakes that drift harmlessly down to the ground. The villagers have seen this sort of thing before and are quite accustomed to its presence.

However, some of the energy forms something else. This time, along with the flaming snowflakes, several swirls of snow form in the air. While swirls of snow were sort of common too, what made these swirls unique were the wisps of flame that accompanied them. Just looking at these swirls, a person could see a slow dance between fire and snow. This display is a unique harmony of contrasting powers that excites and yet calms anyone that looks at this unique dance.

"Woah," quietly exclaims Anton.

"Oh, this is wonderful!" adds Izabell with a smile. Then Izabell begins to walk towards Elsa and Kristian.

Meanwhile, Elsa and Kristian are marveling at their own workmanship. Finally, Kristian says, "This will be a Christmas I hope that I will never forget."

"Then you like what I have tried to do for this Christmas?" inquires Elsa with a smile.

"Of course I do," replies Kristian. "But what I will remember most are the people that I am here with and how they have made me feel."

"That feeling is mutual," replies Elsa.

Now it was at this point that Izabell interrupts Kristian and Elsa. "Kristian, Elsa, this is really amazing!" interrupts Izabell.

In response, both Kristian and Elsa turn to look at Izabell. "I'm glad that you approve," replies Elsa with a smile. "I just hope that Arendelle can provided you with an enjoyable Christmas."

"Are you kidding? Arendelle has given me one of the most precious gifts of all!" exclaims Izabell. "It has reunited me with a lost member of my family. I can't imagine a greater gift than that, this holiday season."

"It is a gift I will cherish as well," adds Kristian. "Being reunited with my big sister and getting to know her again will surely be one of many highlights for me this past year. My life has truly become blessed."

Now Izabell goes up and hugs Kristian. Then she says, "You are not the only one who has been blessed."

Then after a moment of hugging, Kristian looks over to Elsa, and then so does Izabell. In response, Elsa smiles back at them. "I am truly happy for the both of you," says Elsa. "And…, I think this Christmas day will be good for the both of you to get reacquainted. So I think that I will give the both of you some space."

In response to this, both Kristian and Izabell smile. Then Kristian reaches out and grabs a hold of Elsa's hand. Then Kristian pulls Elsa towards him and wraps an arm around her. In this way, Kristian gives Elsa a partial hug, while his other arm is still around Izabell. "I am grateful that you offered, but I would enjoy the day more if you could be with me."

"Kristian is right. We will have the rest of the winter to reconnect," adds Izabell with a smile. Then Izabell reaches her hand out towards Elsa. In response, Elsa hesitates for a moment; but then she reaches out and grabs onto Izabell's hand. Then Izabell says, "Still, I feel that I need to thank you for being so kind and caring towards my brother."

"Believe me, it was a pleasure to show Kristian my hospitality," replies Elsa with almost a giggle.

So with Elsa's near laughter, Izabell begins to giggle as well. Then Izabell and Elsa close the gap between them as Kristian, Elsa, and Izabell sort of get into a three way hug.

"Group hug!" exclaims Olaf as he sees this trio get into their semi-hug. Then Olaf runs up and becomes part of this lose embrace. In response to this, everyone begins to laugh. Soon after, the group hug breaks a part and everyone enjoys the festivities of the holiday season.

A new chapter has now begun for Kristian as he now has to explore this new relationship with his sister. It is also a new friendship for Anna and Elsa as well. So for the rest of the winter, they all have time to explore this new adventure before Izabell and Anton return to the Kingdom of Hesperis.


End file.
